The Return of Rose Tyler and the Bad Wolf
by MinervaStar
Summary: Just like the title says, Rose is Back! But what is the Bad Wolf up to? bit of a recap/rewrite for "The Parting of the Ways", "Doomsday" **Edit/Update** So sorry to have lost track of this one. Working on rereading and getting back into this one 3 more to come soon :)
1. Prolog

Disclamer: I own nothing but the pink laptop that this was typed up on for fun. No copyright infringement intended, I've gained nothing but my own smile for this work

Prolog

An Account of Bad Wolf

Finally the panel opened up. Once she looked inside she not only could get the TARDIS to take her back, there was so much more. She saw everything; all of the past, every choice being made right now, and all the possible futures. Not just her history and future but everyone's everywhere. She knew she wouldn't remember it, how could she, he would take it all away from her, or at least he would try, she smirked. But she saw it, she could leave herself a message, a crossed time, a crossed space and even a crossed universes. Especially a crossed the universes, she would be there for awhile and she couldn't lose faith. From this point in time she would be his equal, it just may take him awhile to see that. Though she knew it would take time and loss to find it all out they would be together, forever. He would not have to watch her wither and die, not for a long time at least. All she had to do was get back to him and save him, and this was the longest trip in this history of all trips, or at least it felt that way with the Time Vortex swimming around in her head. She wanted nothing more than her Doctor safe. Her Doctor. Her heart was filled with love for him; she just wanted to keep him safe. Finally the doors to the TARDIS opened and there was her Doctor, and the Daleks… they would die this day she knew.

"What have you done," shouted the Doctor.

"I looked into the TARDIS," started Bad Wolf, "and the TARDIS looked into me."

"You looked into the Time Vortex. Rose, no one is supposed to see that," stressed the Doctor scared for her.

"This is the abomination!" cried the Dalek Emperor.

"Exterminate!" Cried a Dalek, shooting its energy beam directly at Rose's body, Bad Wolf's eyes flash with their golden light and she raises her right hand affectively stopping the beam and sending it back to the one who shot it. Inside she was giddy and scared, this power was taking on a life of its own but it was working so she didn't care.

"I am the Bad Wolf," she states as the Doctor looks at her in confused fear "I create myself. I take the words. I scatter them, in time and space. A message to lead myself here."

"Rose! You've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now!" cried the Doctor as she just stood there "You've got the entire Vortex running through your head, you're going to burn!"

"I want you safe," Bad Wolf replied surprising him. "My Doctor, protected from the false god."

"You cannot hurt me, I am immortal." Stated the Dalek Emperor.

"You are tiny," claimed Bad Wolf stressing each word. "I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence and I divide them." Her eyes flashing again as she raised and spread her fingers of her right hand. The Dalek who had first shot at her starts to dissolve into the air from both ends until there was nothing left but dust. "Everything must come to dust. All things, everything dies." She stated as she raised her arms. All of the Daleks in the control room with her and the Doctor also start to dissolve as the previous Dalek did. "The Time War ends." Rose noted it was like watching a movie inside her head it was her but it wasn't her.

"I will not die," stated the Dalek Emperor. "I cannot die!" he screamed as the whole ship and everything on it also dissolved into dust.

"Rose you've done it, now stop. Just let go." Urged the Doctor.

"How can I let go of this? I bring life," she stated as her eyes again flashed with the golden light. And somewhere down below Captain Jack Harkness took another breath.

"But this is wrong! You can't control life and death," shouted the Doctor disturbed by what she had just done, she made a human life a fact a fixed point in time.

"But I can," Bad Wolf replied taking the steam right out of the Doctor. "The Sun and the Moon, the day and night. But why do they hurt?" Rose was fighting to get back control of her body, she saw the fear in the Doctor's eyes and knew she was in trouble, the whole time she knew everything but that, Bad Wolf had kept that from her.

"The power's going to kill you and it's my fault," cried the Doctor hanging his head in defeat, how could he have let this happen, his Rose, he sent her home to keep her safe not so she would do this.

"I can see everything," stated Bad Wolf causing him to look back up at her. "All that is, all that was, all there ever could be."

Realization dawning on the Doctor as he stands up to meet her on her level, he could save her, "that's what I see," he said with a smile, "all the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?

"My head," she started, Rose was fighting for the Bad Wolf to let go. They had their Doctor, now it was time for the Wolf to leave.

"Come 'ere," he said.

"It's killing me," she cried as Bad Wolf started to ebb away, tucking itself away from what was to come whispering to Rose, _it'll be okay_.

"I think you need a doctor," he smoldered as he took her in his arms and kissed her. His kiss was enough to draw out the Time Vortex. He could feel the hunger of the Wolf in the kiss. Once no longer burdened with the Vortex Rose fainted and the Doctor lowered her to the floor. Rising back to his full height his eyes shone with the golden light of the Vortex as he took a breath and then exhaled the Vortex back into the TARDIS. _Beware the Cybermen_, he heard a voice as the last of the Vortex left him. He stumbles back a bit once freed himself from the Vortex's power and kneels back beside Rose tenderly brushing her hair from her face, _that was strange_, he thought as he picked her up to carry her back onto the TARDIS. He could feel the whole wrongness that was Captain Jack on the floor below and the Doctor wanted to get out of there before Jack could find his way back to them.

Once back on the TARDIS he laid Rose on the floor and plotted a course for Rose's home. Seeing Jack stumble in just as the TARDIS was dematerializing from the monitor. Once they were on their way Rose came to saying "What happened?"

"Don't you remember?" replied the Doctor, he was surprised but a little relieved. "It's like, there was thing singing," started Rose, she knew it was important.

"That right," quipped the Doctor. "I sang a song and the Daleks ran away."

Ignoring him she pressed on, "I was at home. No I wasn't, I, I was in the TARDIS. And," she sighed trying to remember, "the…there was this light. I can't remember anything else."

As she was talking the Doctor noticed the after affects of taking the Vortex away from her as the back of his had glowed, one day he would have to sit and think about how she had carried the Vortex for so long and just a little exposure was killing him. "Rose Tyler," he smiled. "I was going to take you to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it, fantastic place. They got dog with no noses," he laughed causing Rose to giggle with him. "Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and its still funny."

"Then why can't we go?" Rose asked the still laughing Doctor, she was annoyed she couldn't remember.

"Maybe you will, and maybe I will. But not like this," he smiled and turned back to the screen, he wouldn't change what he did to save her but he was still a bit angry about it, just not at her. After all he made her his now, even if he would be another him.

"You're not making sense," replied Rose as she stood up.

"I might never make senses again! I might have two heads, or no head. Imagine me with no head, and don't say that's an improvement," he warned with a smile and hung his head. "But it's a bit dodgy this process," he said as Rose's smile began to fade. "You never know what you're going to end up with." With that as shock ran though his body sending him away from the control panel.

"Doctor!" cried Rose as she started for him.

"Stay away," he shouted at her from his hunched over position and she took a step back.

"Doc…Doctor tell me what's going on," said Rose her voice and face betraying her worry for him.

"I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex and no one's meant to do that" he said in pain. He took a moment to try to compose his self so he could still talk telling Rose "every cell in my body is dying."

"B…c…can't you do something?" stammered Rose in disbelief.

"Yeah, I'm doing it now," he replied. "Time Lords have this little trick; it's sort of a way of cheating death." After a beat he continued "Except… it means I'm going to change." Rose shook her head not understanding what he meant. "And I'm not going to see you again. Not like this, not with this daft old face," he laughed in spite of himself. "And before I go…"

"Don't say that," interrupted Rose.

"Rose," he said silencing her. "Before I go I just want to say you where fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And you know what?" as she shook her head he smiled and said "So was I." And with a grin he erupted in a golden yellow light. He seemed to grow and shrink all at the same time. His hair grew longer and a bit wild, as his ears and nose got a bit more refined. His eyes went from their pale blue to brown hazel. And when the light faded from around him the jumper and leather jacket just didn't seem to quite fit any more. "Hello," said the Doctor's new face. "Okay," he started only to swallow his words and make a face. "New teeth, that weird. So where was I."

Rose just stood by the coral she had clung to with a look of total shock and disbelief on her face. "Oh, that's right," started the Doctor again. "Barcelona."

"I," started Rose unsure of her own voice and a bit unnerved but the huge grin this new face of the Doctor was flashing her. Surely this wasn't the Doctor, her head was telling her so. But her heart, was it so sure that he wasn't her Doctor, sure he looked different, he even sounded different, but her heart still seemed to tell her he was the same man.

His smile started to fade with her hesitation, was this really too much for her? Was this the event that would send her packing like everyone before her? The pain in his hearts was growing to see her stand there gawking at him. _Wait, no hold on,_ he thought _that's not pain about her possible leaving, something's wrong. _He doubled over in pain again.

"What's going on?" jumped Rose. She could tell something wasn't quite right and it didn't have so much to do with the shaggier new Doctor.

"I, agh!" cried the Doctor. "I don't know. Something's gone wrong with my regeneration."

The TARDIS started to shake as the Doctor succumbed to the pain and fell to his knees. "What can I do?" cried Rose frantic to know what could be done to fix all this.

"Help the TARDIS land," grunted the Doctor.

"Help the TARDIS? I can't fly her," exclaimed Rose in a bit of a panic.

"To right," said the Doctor as he struggled to his feet to assist the TARDIS land hopefully with little incident. _Well it could have been worse_, he thought after they crash landed at the Powell Estate. And for a moment he felt much better thinking that maybe the problem was over he bounded out of the TARDIS way ahead of Rose only to great her mom Jackie and Mickey before collapsing unconscious.


	2. Chapter 1  First Days With Out You

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the pink laptop that this was typed up on for fun. No copyright infringement intended, I've gained nothing but my own smile for this work

Chapter 1

First Days With Out You

"Once the bridge collapses that's it, you'll never be able to see her again. Your own mother," shouted the Doctor as he grabbed Rose's arms.

"I made my choice a long time ago and I'm never going to leave you," started Rose "So what can I do to help?"

_SESTEMS REBOOTED_ sounded the computer generated voice.

"Those coordinates over there set them all to six," he said as she walked past "And hurry up!"

After setting the coordinates the computer bleeped, "We got Cybermen on the way up," called Rose.

"How many floors down?" asked the Doctor as he scrambled to her side, the warning of _beware the Cybermen _ringing in his head again.

"Just one," she replied as they watched the screen, then back to work they went seeing one Cyberman take out the rest.

_LEAVERS __OPERATIONAL_ sounded the computer generated voice as the Doctor typed away on the computer, hearing that brought a small smile to his face.

"That's more like it, bit of a smile," said Rose relief showing on her face. "The old team."

"Hope and Glory, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake," started the Doctor as he brought in the large wall magnets.

"Which one's Shiver?" questioned Rose.

"Oh, I'm Shake," replied the Doctor handing her one of the magnets. As they set them up against the wall he called over his shoulder "press the red button. Now when it starts just hold on tight, it shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and Cybermen are steeped in Void stuff. You ready?"

"So are they," replied Rose seeing the Daleks flying outside the window.

"Let's do it," cried the Doctor as they began to push the leavers up and ran for the magnets. The sudden sound of the rushing air into the Void and the Daleks breaking though the window to be sucked into the Void as well. "That's right the breach is open, into the Void!" laughed the Doctor as he and Rose clung to the walls, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was the battle that the Beast had referred to.

After a bit the leaver next to Rose went off line and she had to let go of the wall to get it back up, "Hold on," called the Doctor.

"I've got to get it upright," she called back struggling with both the heavy leaver and the pull from the Void. _It'll be okay,_ a voice whispered to her as she made eye contact with the Doctor. Finally she was able to get it into the locked position, but the pull from the Void as grew to be too much and she started to fall in.

All the Doctor could do was look on in horror calling her name "Rose!" Suddenly Pete Tyler appeared from the other world and saved her but at the cost of taking her back with him just as the Void was closing.

The sudden lack of sound was almost louder then when the wind and all started. The Doctor stood struck by his sudden loss of Rose. He walked to the wall where the tear once was and leaned his ear to it with his hand up.

As if knowing he was there the crying Rose mimicked him movement. Rose continued to cry not just for her loss of the Doctor but for his loss as well. He was alone and it broke her heart, just as it broke Pete, Jackie and Mickey's hearts to watch her sob against the wall.

It had been over two years since that day at Torchwood. Rose was having one of the most peaceful nights in a long time when the dream came, it was his voice. His voice was calling her to come. Both excited and upset by this dream because somewhere she knew this was just to say goodbye, _for now_, she thought as she passed a large painting in the hall that Pete had bought for her and her Mum. When he had brought it home is was so excited for them to see it though he never could tell Jackie why he had taken the time to even look at the "ugly thing" as she called it. Rose knew that had hurt Pete but she thought it was beautiful. It was modern art in swirls of blue and gold, but among the swirls Rose thought she could see the shape of an animal's head looking back at her. As poor Pete tried to explain to her Mum that if nothing else he helped a struggling Irish artist, which did earn him some points from Jackie and she finally asked what it the painting was called.

"Faolchu Droch," Rose mumbled the name Pete had said as she touched the corner of the frame with a hint of a smile on her face. Rose remembered the face her mother had pulled as if she had instinctively knew what it would mean to her daughter and the shock on Pete's face as she had mumbled the English translation that day, "Bad Wolf."

Rose continued down the hall to share her dream of the voice calling to her not all that surprised to see Mickey sitting next to her Mum and Pete by the fire, he did almost live there will all the time he spent helping them help her. She told them of her dream and what it meant, she knew no one was really happy about it but they agreed to go with her, it hadn't really ever been a question if they would or not. They had packed and left that morning driving for weeks following her dream. They had stopped just a bit out of Bergen, Norway and Rose could feel they were close but everyone needed to rest for the night. Rose went to the closest petrol station and bought a map to see if she could place where they were headed, back in her room she sat on the bed looking at the map when a name caught her attention _Dårlig Ulv Stranden._ She taped the map and mumbled to herself "Bad Wolf." She still didn't quite grasp why the words where following her, especially here in the parallel universe. She wished the Doctor had explained the words to her. She knew that the frequency had slowed after he had regenerated and she had this nagging feeling it had something to with her memory loss and how she got back to the Game Station.

As she sat lost in thought there was a knock on her door and she found tears on her cheeks, as she wiped them away she called, "Come in."

It was Mickey and his soft smile turned slowly to a frown as he noticed she had been crying, "hey" he said crossing the room and sitting on the bed next to her giving her a hug, "what's wrong?"

"Nuffing" she lied trying to give him a smile.

"Rose," he started "you know I'm here for you. Whatever you need I'm there, you just have to let me in."

She nodded, and pointed to the map. "Dårlig Ulv Stranden" she just knew she was saying it right.

"Dalek?" questioned Mickey tensing up.

"No, Dårlig" replied Rose noting to herself how close the words sounded out loud herself. "Bad Wolf Bay, it must be." She mumbled.

"Bad Wolf," Mickey repeated. "Like when you went back to the doctor yourself in the TARDIS?"

She nodded, "It's a message of some kind."

"But from who?" Mickey asked, causing Rose to shake her head and cry again.

"I don't know," she sobbed into his chest as he held her. "I don't remember what happened when I went back to the Doctor that day, I don't remember it."

Mickey held her for a long time as she cried softly into his chest. He continued to hold her long after the tears stopped and she fell asleep. _One day Rose Tyler_, he thought with a sigh, because even in his head Mickey knew that Rose would never feel for him like she did for her Doctor.

Early the next morning they all piled back into the Jeep this time knowing where they would end up, when they arrived at the beach Rose was full of anxiety and Mickey would have sworn on his Grandmother that there was a kind of gold tint to her eyes when she got out of the Jeep.

She stood there on that beach watching the ocean until the ghostly image of him appeared. "Where are you?" she asked turning to face him.

"Inside the TARDIS, there's one tiny little gap in the universe left, and it takes a lot of power to send this projection. I'm in orbit around a supernova, I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye," he said with a small smile.

"You look like a ghost," Rose replied shaking her head.

"Hold on," said the Doctor fiddling with the Sonic Screwdriver and then taking aim at sometime on the TARDIS she couldn't see until his image solidified.

Taking a few steps closer and starting to raise her hand to his face, "Can I tou..." she started.

He shook his head a bit, "I'm still just an image, no touch," he replied sadly.

"Why did you come for me properly?" she asked knowing the answer in her heart.

"The whole thing would fracture, two universes would collapse," he replied knowing that no matter what she said she wouldn't have him risk that.

"So?" she responded with a half smile and a forced laugh winning her a larger smile from him.

After a moment's pause he looked around and asked, "Where are we? Where did the gap come out?"

"We're in Norway," she responded.

"Norway, right" he agreed not fully understanding.

"About fifty miles out of Bergen, its called," she paused and took a deep breath "Dårlig Ulv Stranden."

"Dalek?" questioned the Doctor concerned making the same mistake Mickey had the night before.

"Dårlig," repeated Rose a bit slower, "Its Norwegian for bad." The Doctor just continued to look at her not fully understanding what she was going on about. "This translates to Bad Wolf Bay," she finished with a roll of her eyes and another forced laugh causing him to smile. "How long have you got?" she asked with a bit of break in her voice.

"About two minutes," he replied gently.

She sighed and said "I can't think of what to say," causing them both to laugh.

After a beat the Doctor looked behind her and said, "You've still got Mr Mickey then."

"There's five of us now," replied Rose, "Mum, Dad, Mickey, and the baby" she said with a pause just to see the Doctor's response.

"You're not," he asked softly.

"No," she responded with a grin and a laugh "It's Mum." The Doctor let out a burst of air from his lungs betraying the relief he felt. "She three months gone, more Tylers on the way."

"And what about you, what are you" he let the question hang there.

"Yeah, I'm, I'm back working in the shop," she said with a straight face.

A bit crest fallen he responded "Oh, good for you."

"Shut up," she shot back with a smirk, "No I'm not. See the Torchwood on this planet is open for business. Think I know a thing or two about aliens," she finished with her voice cracking from the tears that wanted to come.

"Rose Tyler," the Doctor said with pride, "Defender of the Earth." After another moment of silence he blurted out "Your dead, officially back home." Bringing tears to her eyes all the more, "So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on the list of the dead." She cried softly as he continued, "Here you are, living a life day after day. One adventure I can never have."

She sobbed no longer able to contain her grief, "Am I ever going to see you again?"

"You can't," he said simply a small brave smile on his face.

"What are you going to do," she cried.

"Oh I've got the TARDIS, same old life last of the Time Lords," he tried to sound chipper for her but even he didn't think he sounded all that upbeat, but maybe she wouldn't notice his pain.

"On your own?" she asked with a sniff. He nodded not trusting his own voice not to betray him. "I," she started the pain in her heart almost too much to bear, taking a deep breath she tried again "I love you," she sobbed.

"Quite right too," he replied with a crack in his voice, no longer was there that brave little smile on his face trying to hide the pain but the sad little smile that made her sob a bit harder guessing he felt the same but he would never say it, not even now. "And I suppose, if it's my last chance to say it," he said with a bit of a laugh and taking a deep breath, "Rose Tyler."

But with that said he disappeared, the walls fully closed around the universes. Her heart broke all over again. _How many days will I have to live without him_, she cried in her head. She ran into the embrace her mother held out for her as the boys looked on. _Not to many_, came the cryptic response in her head as she cried on her mother's shoulder. Rose didn't take much notice of the other voice in her head thinking it was just wishful thinking at the time, or at least broken promise to her self.


	3. Chapter 2  Cardiff

Disclamer: I own nothing but the pink laptop that this was typed up on for fun. No copyright infringement intended, I've gained nothing but my own smile for this work

Chapter 2

Cardiff

It had been just over a decade since that day in Norway, and Rose was still morning the loss of Mickey from the year before, he had been one of her only friends. She hoped he had been happy before he died. As she told the Doctor she was working at Torchwood; and so had Mickey in fact he had died in the line of duty; and she knew that Torchwood was created in this universe just like as in her by Queen Victoria and she was determined to find out what had happened to this universe's Doctor. The last time there had been a Code Nine in this Universe was back during World War II with an account of a strange plague and gas masks. Everyone at Torchwood London thought she was a bit mad looking for this Doctor and into the past, what good could it possibly do anyone after all? But still she searched between missions and attacks, and she was one of the best so no one protested too much.

Rose had also become a very proficient hacker in time regularly keeping tabs on UNIT, MI-5, and even the FBI. Not just for signs of the Doctor past or present but also to make sure they wouldn't cause any trouble. The FBI caused her the most concern and held some hope for her especially in there fringe science department. She would always smile at herself when she was hacking these government agencies, thinking back before she met the Doctor and computers where just something to check your email on. Even Mickey had joke about her proficiency since she had long out striped him in that department. Today she was hacking Torchwoods old files when she ran a crossed something familiar. It was a really old report from 1899 talking about the pickup and placement of one Captain Jack Harkness. Knowing that it couldn't be her Jack she was still intrigued, she dug a little deeper only to come up with more security encryption on these files than any other Torchwood data. _Odd,_ she thought working her hardest to get through the files. Just as she was about to give up three words appeared on her as if left by someone else, _very odd,_ she thought as she stared at the blinking words.

She turned off her system and went to find the Director. After getting the okay for a few days leave she was on the road shortly having few ties left at Torchwood London and she told herself she would phone her mum from the road. She had been surprised as to how fast she had made it, and laughed as she thought of her mother's complaints for her need for speed. She stood in the middle of the Roald Dahl Plass not sure what to do next until she saw those words, those two little words in chalk on the concrete next to the water tower, Bad Wolf. As she stared at the words a tall man with the looks of some Hollywood actor, his long coat billowed around his legs and he had the classic Torchwood Bluetooth in his ear. She almost couldn't believe her eyes, where was a man she thought she had lost to the Daleks back in her universe standing almost larger than life before her. "Jack," she breathed as she ran to give him a hug.

He was taken back in surprise as this blond threw herself at him, after all how did she see through the perception filter, pushing her off he asked, "I'm sorry sweet heart do I know you?"

Crestfallen as she remembered he couldn't possibly be her Jack she mumbled, "Ah, right… no sorry." And then a bit more coherently "Sorry just a case of mistaken identity," which in a way she told herself was the truth.

The man narrowed his eyes and replied, "Then how did you know my name?"

"Oh, is that your name too?" she easily lied, after all his name could have been different here, Mickey's was.

"Uh huh," he said as he caught her gaze dropping to the ground again, he looked down at his feet as well and saw the words scribed there in chalk. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" he questioned indicating the words below his feet.

Rose was caught and she knew it, how could she explain her fascination with those two words when she didn't quite know herself. She settled for a distraction instead, "Have you ever met the Doctor?"

His beautiful blue eyes widened when she said those words, "Come with me," he replied curtly as he lead her a crossed the plaza. A bit later they walked into a slightly crowded bar and he lead her to a booth in the back corner. After the bar maid took the drink order Jack gave her and came back with the Rum and Cokes, he looked right into her brown eyes with his blue and said, "Now talk."

Rose sat a bit straighter knowing she had to take control of this conversation, "It was a simple question," she stalled, "and I don't know what all this fuss is about."

"The fuss is your sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong girly," Jack replied sourly.

"Okay then a simple question then," she countered as Jack raised his one eyebrow reminding her so much of her Doctor as he took a sip of his drink, "Are you from the fifty first century?" she asked with a completely neutral face like she was asking about the weather.

Whatever he had expected her to ask, that surely wasn't even close as he showered her with his drink. "Wha…" he sputtered.

A knowing smile tugged at her lips as she wiped her face and jacket off. "Well you either think I'm completely mad, or you are from the fifty first century," she said matter of factly.

"Who are you," he hissed.

"I'm not all that important at this time," she shot back taking his actions as affirmation, "the question is how did you get here and when did you last see the Doctor."

He gave her the coldest stair possible and replied "He's dead."

"I kind of figured," she smoothly replied. "But that doesn't answer the questions."

Jack sighed; the Doctor had warned him that something like this may happen. "The last I saw him was during World War II, but he wasn't of this universe," started Jack, the blond merely nodded before he continued. "I only met him once. He had been looking for me he said and he had been glad that he found me. After he cleaned up my nanogene mess he told me I was wrong here too but couldn't figure out why, he didn't explain what he meant just told me to watch for the words Bad Wolf and I would learn someday. He did say he couldn't believe that it happened here in this universe since _she_ wasn't here and his incarnation for this universe died in a battle with Autons. He said he couldn't stay that his TARDIS would die in this universe if he didn't leave soon but he just had to see how far the Bad Wolf's power went," Jack finished with a shrug.

Rose didn't really understand what he was going on about but one thing stuck out in her head, "What did he mean when he said you where wrong?"

"I didn't know at first, it wasn't until months later I felt like I was having a heart attack and the following day I found out I couldn't die. Shot through the heart and yet here I am," responded Jack throwing his arms wide. "And those words, I've only seen them twice, the first day I didn't die, and today. So who are you?"

"I," started Rose, "I'm Rose Tyler, simple shop girl of London," she said with a grin. But her heart broke as she said those words, _the Autons killed him_, she thought miserably all because in this world Rose Tyler had been a dog. "But why can't you die?"

Jack shrugged "Best guess was something to do with the Bad Wolf gal from another universe."

"You think Bad Wolf is a person?" questioned Rose, she had only thought of the words as a message before, thought never knowing a message for what.

"It seemed to be what the Doctor was implying," replied Jack, "and the way he talked she both freighted and awed him."

"Jack," called a long haired brunette from half way a crossed the bar as she walked towards them.

Rose smiled at her, "Hello Gwen."

Jack raised his eyebrow again, "Just a shop girl?" he questioned Rose as she shrugged.

"Who's this?" asked Gwen taken back that Jack must have talked about her.

"Supposedly no one," replied Jack "what's going on?"

Gwen frowned a bit but replied, "Trouble," as she turned on her heel knowing Jack would follow her. What neither of them expected was for Rose to get up and follow them as well.

"What sort of trouble?" asked Rose intrigued.

"None of you business," replied Gwen as she picked up her pace to match Jack's long stride.

"Torchwood is my business," Rose shot back as she easily fell into step with them.

"You are just full of mystery Rose Tyler," commented Jack but said nothing else.

Gwen rightfully took that as Jack's ascent to let Rose in on what was going on and started explaining the newest threat to the planet. Sure it didn't sound like much a first and Gwen didn't know how Jack would react to her report but it surely wasn't what she expected when she told him that the computer had picked up a strange frequency just as every child in the world recited "We are coming."

Jack looked like he had been punched in the stomach, Gwen hadn't even said what frequency but he knew. He knew what was coming, more so then he should have if he had only live through this once, but he had lied to Rose. His Doctor had taken him to the other universe and showed him this part of his future, and he had explained more than Jack had let on about the Bad Wolf. _But now is not the time_, Jack chided himself.

Rose recognized the look of realization and horror in Jack's eyes after all she had seen it before on the Game Station. She knew what ever this threat was it wasn't going to end well but she didn't have the since of urgency that she usually did facing threats like this, and why couldn't she stop thinking back to the Game Station.


	4. Chapter 3  Children of Earth

Disclamer: I own nothing but the pink laptop that this was typed up on for fun. No copyright infringement intended, I've gained nothing but my own smile for this work

Note: This is sadly one of the shortest chapters planed out so far, but I hope its still a good one! Enjoy.

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Chapter 3

Children of Earth

"Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, and Captain Jack Harkness, you're it for Torchwood Three?" asked Rose in disbelief.

"We recently lost some good people," responded Jack defensive of the losses.

Ianto grabbed Jack's hand and gave it a little squeeze. Ianto recognize the blond as the one from the other universe the one who had helped with the Cybermen. "You're Rose, right, helped out with the Cybermen few years back with the Doctor?" asked Ianto before introductions where made.

"The Doctor," Gwen asked confused as Rose nodded and started logging into a computer.

"Sorry Torchwood use only," Jack started to say as the computer accepted her log on, "What?"

Rose gave him a bit of a grin, "Told you Torchwood is my business," she started tossing him her badge from Torchwood One.

Gwen looked at the badge over Jack's shoulder, "you're the nutter they complain about aren't you?" she asked. Jack gave the brunette a quizzical look an she responded, "Was looking for some more personal to transfer here and some would have liked to have gotten away even if it meant moving to Wales but they all said she was the best too."

"You where trying to recruit to my team," Jake seemed upset, but Gwen didn't seem to bothered by that.

Rose nodded as she typed away at the computer console, "Yea, I'm the nutter they love to hate. Actually it was one of my crazy projects that led me here, who encrypted your file Jack, I couldn't brake all the encryptions."

"I asked Tosh to do it," he replied sadly.

Rose nodded knowing that she was one of the losses he had mentioned earlier, good old Torchwood sending memos around every time an agent died. "So this was the first time you recorded the frequency?" she asked, was bound and determined to stop this without a sacrifice being made. Out of the corner of his eye Jack thought he saw a flash of gold in her eyes before she paused in her work and gave herself a bit of shake, _what sacrifice_, she questioned herself.

"Yes," Gwen piped up not wanting to be out of whatever loops Jack and Ianto seemed to have with this girl. "But we only caught that there was a frequency, we have no idea what it was broad casting."

"Well let's see if we can find out," Rose replied with a smile, she really was getting good at this computer stuff. As she messed with the levels of the sound and speed the recording a box on her screen pinged signaling that whatever it was it was broad casting again. Rose stopped what she had been doing as the other three jumped into action at the other terminals, they all tried to pinpoint where the signal was coming form. "There," Rose cried as she pointed to a map of the solar system.

The other three came to look over her shoulder at the blinking red dot just outside of Jupiter's orbit and move in fast. "By the looks of it they'll be here in two days," stated Jack startled at the rate events where panning out in his own universe versus his Doctor's.

"Well then let's see if we can find out what they want," replied Rose as she started working on finding out what was in those transmissions. "Wait, here we go," she exclaimed as she flipped the switch for the Hub's speakers.

The room flooded with a hypnotic singing and everyone just listened until Rose crashed to her knees hands over her ears screaming an unearthly scream. "Ianto shut it off," Jack cried as he dove to Rose's side. Ianto flipped the switch as Jack cradled Rose slightly rocking her back and forth to sooth her, "Your okay kid, your okay," he murmured.

"What was that?" cried Gwen concerned for Rose and confused as to why Jack cared so much for her.

"I don't know," Jack replied as he picked Rose up with ease, "But whatever it was, we shouldn't play it again while she's in ear shot." With that he carried her into his office and shut the door. As he laid her on the sofa he called to her softly "Rose, come on Rose, wake up."

She stirred and slowly opened her brown eyes and now he couldn't but help notice the bit of gold flecked in her irises. "What happened?" she asked.

"You passed out," replied Jack concerned for her.

The gold intensified in her eyes for a moment and then as if she knew it was there she blinked a few times and breathed, "Oh Jack, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She opened her eyes and he couldn't see any of the gold there, after a beat she continued, "I remember, I remember and you're all my fault, I'm the Bad Wolf."

She clung to his neck in a form of apology. He patted her arm "It's okay Rose, it's okay. I take it as a complement that you liked you're me so much you never wanted him to die, so we just don't," commented Jack.

"You're not mad?" she asked as she pulled away from him tears in her eyes.

"No, I'm not mad," he said flashing his winning smile.

She smiled back in return and said, "I somehow knew you were going to say that."

He laughed, "Well you where the one with the Time Vortex in your head."

"Yeah," she replied. "Right then, the 456 first, shall we?"

Jack looked at her strangely for a bit, he knew those weren't her words, they where the Doctor's. "But why do you remember now Rose?" He asked.

"But the 456," she tried to get him back on track.

"Can wait a few minutes," he replied. "Why do you remember now?"

"The song, what we heard was not the 456. Bad Wolf planed for me to alter it, she knew it would be safe for me to remember now, that I would be changed enough to hold on to the memory of the Vortex without the chance of burning I guess. Something to do with making me less of an ape," she laughed at the reference from her first Doctor.

Jack didn't get the reference but said "Doubt you where ever much of an ape."

"Maybe," she replied rubbing the back of her neck, "Can we focus on the 456 now?"

He was unsure about the very condensed explanation but with a smile he agreed and they got to work. Jack was surprised as to how easily they beat back the 456, with the two of them together it was almost as if the Doctor had taken care of it. There was some loss of life but not nearly on the scale the other two universes had face, of course he knew what had happen there and it wasn't pretty. Though Jack would never say it to Rose, even after she seemed to know what was to come in her universe, he thought her own universe had really had it bad when he thought about what her Jack had done in sacrificing his own grandson.


	5. Chapter 4  Universe Skipping

Disclamer: I own nothing but the pink laptop that this was typed up on for fun. No copyright infringement intended, I've gained nothing but my own smile for this work

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Chapter 4

Universe Skipping

Rose had thought this universe would be pretty dull after the 456, with only a few battles and skirmishes, but Daleks came from the far corners of time and took over the world after only fifty years from the 456, making slaves of most humans with nothing they could really do to stop them. So time past with her and Jack hiding for the Daleks and from time to time joining the feeble resistance and outliving everyone they had come to care for sooner than they should have. Decades past and Rose knew the time to leave this universe was upon them, after all she didn't know how much more Jack to sit by and watch, he hated not being able to do anything. She had tried to explain to him that there wasn't much they could do it was the consequence of the Doctor dying before his time in this universe but even to her the words sounded like a hollow excuse. But that was all that was all they could do, and now it was time for them to leave but she couldn't go back to her's, not quite yet a least, because the Doctor had been right the universes had been sealed off but only from her's there were still ways to travel between other universes like Jack's Doctor's.

She had her work cut out for her. She had taken years of mathematical equations for teleportation, rift manipulation, and galaxy hopping from all over the globe before the Daleks came and now all she had to do was apply it to universe skipping, she had to laugh at herself, _universe skipping_, as if that was a thing. Still she had to have a go at it; she couldn't let them win like that she couldn't she thought as she absently played with her locket, she knew that the end of her exile was at hand, she could feel it, boy could she feel it, the walls of this reality where weakening next to both her universe and Jack's Doctor's.

"Alright, now what?" she mumbled to herself as she poured over her equations. Running her fingers though her hair as she saw the numbers dance on the pages.

"What are you up to my brunette?" called Jack from the door of the hub, one of the few hide outs the Daleks could never find, they let the resistance know of its location a few days ago and Rose hoped it would be a turning point for the resistance and the fight against the Daleks, she was afraid that after only a few more hundred years the human race would be no more than domesticated animals if they didn't start taking back the planet soon.

Rose smiled a little as she looked at her brown hair. She had tired of the blonde and keeping it up so she had gone back to her natural color, plus she didn't stand out as much as a brunette and even these Daleks had named her the abomination, Bad Wolf. "Just working on these stupid equations," she replied slamming her hands on the table in frustration, there was something missing and she just couldn't place it.

"Hey, hey easy now," chided Jack as he came up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. "You'll figure it out you cleaver girl."

"I am cleaver," she chimed, and then she frowned she had started to recognized_ his_ voice in hers now.

"Aw, come on what's wrong now?" Jack asked seeing her frown and knowing what was causing it, the closer they got to getting back to the Doctors the more she sounded like them from time to time.

"Nuffing, I'm fine," she replied in a huff at herself, as she turned back to her work. Jack walked away heading for his office with a bit of a grin, he knew she would get it today, he had seen the words more than once. She got her bearing just then scribbling on the paper and in putting figures into the computer, with luck the computer would figure out the missing piece. "Jack! Jack come here!"

"What is it?" Jack asked with a bit of a grin. His Doctor had told him this would come, he couldn't help but feel excited about it. But at the same time but he really couldn't help but feel for Rose, she know most of what had to be and what couldn't be changed and he thought that it was tearing her apart, make her as aloof as the Doctor. Sure she hadn't been alone all this time but she blamed herself for making him immortal as well, she had never meant for that to happen, well not consciously at least. He was sure Bad Wolf had known exactly what was happening at the time, but he was sure that she knew that as Bad Wolf and blocked that knowledge from herself. _If this works you won't have to wait long_, thought Jack as he walk back to her.

"Show me you're Vortex Manipulator," she said as she typed away.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Jack teased.

"Well that's the point now isn't," Rose mocked, as she took it off his wrist and fiddled with the numbers. "This was never designed to do much more the hop thought time, but with a few adjustments, and a kick of sonic," she said taking out a Sonic Screwdriver.

"When did you," started Jack looking at the purple light at the end amused at the obvious attempt to make it pink.

"Found the blue prints in the archives awhile ago," Rose stated dismissively.

"Yes, but they where faulty," Jack stated mater of factly.

"Really?" questioned Rose only half paying attention as she worked with his Manipulator, "Odd," she mumbled checking the numbers on the computer with the read out she had on the device in her hand.

"What's odd?" asked Jack raising his eyebrow at her.

"You've been through the Void before right?" asked Rose looking him in the eye.

"Yeah, why?" he replied confused where she was going with that.

She brandished his Vortex Manipulator at him, "It remembers."

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"It remembers the way, did her ever play with this when you were with him?" Rose asked.

"No," Jack answered quickly.

"Are you sure?" Rose pushed, "Think Jack, did he ever just grab your wrist instead of your hand, something?"

"No," he said with a pause, "Wait, yes. When we went aboard the TARDIS to go to his universe he had took hold of my wrist," Jack said rubbing his wrist with the memory. "Would that be all it would take?"

"Yeah, mine was that good," smiled Rose at the memories. "And because of that, this is going to be easy, he left you the missing piece," she took a disk out of the computer and put it in her pocket and handed Jack his Manipulator back. Typing away on her own Manipulator she said, "Come on, I don't fancy freezing to death during this jump."

They walked into Jack's office and she handed him the coat she had altered for him. "What the," Jack started when he saw all the wires and such on his favorite World War II coat.

"You may not be able to die in the here and now, but I'm not about to risk the Void" Rose responded mater of factly. "It will insulate you when we jump," she said as donned her own coat.

"So this is really happening?" asked Jack putting his coat on almost afraid to believe it.

"No time like the present," replied Rose with a grin eager to be on the way. "Count of three?"

Jack nodded as they brought their hands to their Vortex Manipulators. "One."

"Two," and they looked into each other's eyes and smiled, Jack noting the large amount of gold in her eyes and then words Bad Wolf all around his office.

"Three!" they shouted together as they both pressed the buttons grinning like mad.

For a moment she felt nothing, _am I dead_, she asked herself, she thought it would be different, being dead that is. _Not dead_, responded that voice, _we're not done yet_. Rose was surprised but she knew that it was Bad Wolf talking to her in her own head. _What do you mean, we're not done yet_, she asked her other self. _You know,_ replied the Bad Wolf, _we will get back to save our Doctor._ And with that Rose felt the presence leave her as the feeling for the sun hit her skin and the smell of apples in the air and a familiar sound hit her ears.

Jack gave a whoop of joy as he too recognized the sound of the incoming TARDIS, she slowly opened her eyes as a tall man in a bow tie and tweed jacket, "Oh, hello there," the man said.

"Doctor," Jack cried running and giving him a hug.

"Ah Captain, you haven't changed," there was a hint of disgust in his voice but Rose could tell it was just a hint even if this wasn't her Doctor or a similar face even.

"Don't be getting all prejudice on me now," Jack joked releasing the Doctor.

Rose had let her eyes wonder not wanting to interrupt their happy reunion. She believed they were on New Earth with its apple grass, as her eyes turned skyward she saw two words forming in the clouds, "Bad Wolf" she mumbled to herself and continued to stare at the words.

"And who may you be," asked the Doctor as he walked up to her with Jack beside him.

She turned to look at him and couldn't help but smile when the idea that he'd look worse floated to mind, "Just a traveler," she replied, "Nice bow tie."

"Ah but you're so much more than that," the Doctor replied smoothly then added while straitening said bow tie, "bow ties are cool."

Rose rolled her eyes about the bow tie and raised her chin a bit looking him square in the eye an easier task with his shorter frame, "No they aren't and what of it?"

A sad look came into the Doctor's light eyes as he responded, "You've forced your power into three universe tying their fate far tighter then they should be to your own. You should not exist; you are wrong Rose Tyler, not in the same way as the Captain but still wrong."

She did not waiver or drop her gaze and she asked only one thing, "How should I not exist?"

"You burned that day on the Game Station, you scattered the all Daleks to dust but sub came to the power of the Vortex," he was looking into her eyes as he said, "you died; did you see that?"

She shook her head slowly, "Not that I recall." She said honestly, "and it wouldn't have mattered if I did."

The Doctor nodded. "I know," he said, "And your recall surprises me, it must have something to do with your own stubbornness, well that and just the right amount of Arturon radiation and that Void stuff you keep getting into to temper the power in your human form. I'd love to run some tests, but you'll only say no, even if I warn you that you may start to glow in the dark!" he declared with a grin as Rose looked at him in disbelief. Deflated he said "No, well, I was devastated at your sacrifice. When I carried you to the TARDIS to return you to your mother I was flooded with the feelings and beliefs and the knowledge of Bad Wolf. I knew how you felt about," he paused but pushed ahead, "about me, and Jack."

"Hey now, don't bring me in on this," said Jack from a bit further off then either of them realized he had gotten too.

"But you are part of this," replied the Doctor not taking his eyes off of Rose's, "She gave her life to get back to us because where she wanted me safe, she wanted you to live."

"I didn't know that would be the result," Rose said looking at Jack a sadness in her voice at having put her friend in this unnaturally long life.

"Of course you didn't, but you did it in two universes," the Doctor said and then he kissed her forehead and enveloped her in a hug. "Do you understand what has to be done?"

"To get back, I think so," she replied surprised in the feel of this embrace. "First off I need to get to the Chino-planet of Shan Shen and meet with him and Donna before she gets to the fortune teller."

"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked, he felt that she was cutting it to close.

"If I miss the blurring of the time lines start to settle. I know they can't arrive until the planet is already at the Medusa Cascade and the sub-wave network has to lead the TARDIS the half second in time, some good people will be lost but maybe I can stop the Doctor-Donna from ever happening. Those are two casualties I want to prevent," replied Rose.

"You could arrive before then," the Doctor said, "Before Shan Shen."

Rose shook her head, "The only other point that is available besides landing on Earth after its already at the Cascade, is the Library," and Rose's mask slipped a little at the thought of meeting River Song.

The Doctor nodded and handed her a piece of paper, "Take this."

"What is it?" asked Rose not taking her eyes from his face.

"The figures you need for your Vortex Manipulator, you may be cleaver now but your math is still a bit off," he said with a grin.

"Shut up," she said with a smile, "Can you do one more thing for me?"

"Anything Rose Tyler," he said playing with her name just like her Doctor always had.

She grinned, "Do you have any peroxide?"

"Yes," he said after a pause running his fingers through her hair, "but I like the brown."

"It'll just make things easier, can't risk him not recognizing me" she said as he nodded and she ran for the TARDIS, she hesitated only a bit when she noticed the choral was gone. She found a bathroom quite quickly and was suppressed to see the amount of peroxide there was. _I could go blond for life_, she laughed. After bleaching her hair and applying the makeup she hadn't worn for decades. She looked at her reflection surprised to see the young hopeful face with the sad eyes she had last seen the morning before their goodbyes at Bad Wolf Bay.

"Almost," came a voice from the door.

"What?" she asked glancing over at the Doctor.

"The fashion is a bit off," he replied lightly. She look and saw what he meant, over the years she a adopted a very military fashion in mostly black and grays and favoring leather, nothing like what she use to wear. She bit her lower lip looking back at the Doctor. "The wardrobe room is available" he said with a grin.

She felt slightly overwhelmed looking in a section her TARDIS would have nudged her to. She settled for a black tank top and trousers with a light blue zip-up jumper and then threw a brown leather jacket over top; it had the feel of her jacket but wasn't as military looking and wouldn't feel as bulky under her wired coat. As she looked herself over again she saw the Doctor in the mirror. "Are you trying to creep me out," she complained, he may be the Doctor here but he wasn't her Doctor.

"No, just remembering," he replied, "I have always been more open about my feelings then your Doctor."

She turned and looked at him, "I'm sorry."

"Naw," he replied, "no need for that. There could only be one Bad Wolf, and your universe is ahead of mine, just like Pete's is ahead of yours, not your fault." He paused, "You're different from her you know, and not because of Bad Wolf. If you want I can show you, but I'll also see your past with him."

"Why," she started to ask.

"Well the connection is a two way street, give and take," he started as she shook her head.

"No, why do you want to show me," she asked, she couldn't understand why he would want to share something so personal, especially when her Doctor couldn't even talk about his past companions.

"Oh well, in a way it'll help keep her alive, not just in my memory but yours too, and I'm curious as to why you've gone to such lengths to get back to him," he said simply.

She looked at him for a moment, not sure how to take his honesty but she nodded, "if you want to show me I would love to meet your Rose."

He took the few steps needed to cross the distance between them and placed his fingers on either side of her forehead. As soon as he had touched her images started flying between their minds, she saw all of his trips with his Rose who she was surprised to see had deep blue eyes instead and was not blonde but she was also a bit more timid having never stood up against Cassandra like she had at the end of the world, not that she didn't stick by the Doctor but she didn't have the fire Rose had come to recognize in herself. The Doctor also had a mass of images to go though as well, her hesitation but full acceptance of his regeneration and an unexpected tear came to his eyes when he saw this Rose telling her Doctor she would stay with him forever as that watched the pterodactyls fly about. His hands dropped from her head then and he said a bit huskily "Now you need to get going, it's just about time."

They walked back outside and she gave Jack a hug and kiss on the cheek goodbye and she slipped the computer disk in his pocket. She then repeated the hug and kiss with the Doctor and as she was about to pull away he grabbed her hands before she could and pushed a ring into her right hand, she looked him in the eyes for a moment unsure what the ring really was but knowing he wouldn't explain before taking four steps back reading the Doctors directions and following them to the letter typing every number as it was written. _Here goes_, she thought and hit the button.


	6. Chapter 5  Hello, Goodbye

Disclamer: I own nothing but the pink laptop that this was typed up on for fun. No copyright infringement intended, I've gained nothing but my own smile for this work

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Chapter 5

Hello, Goodbye

She finally appeared in the middle of the flea market feeling relieved and finally at home, _good_, she thought looking around,_ now where are they?_ She realized they were just on the other side of this drink stand. She straightened her jacket after tossing her over coat with the wires. Unfortunately her timing wasn't all that great, the Doctor and Donna where just taking their first ship when she walked up besides Donna and said "Doctor."

The Doctor spit out his drink, surprised by the familiar voice, onto Donna and dropped the rest down himself, and the shock of the Doctor spiting on her caused Donna to jump and throw her drink in the air getting them all a bit soggy, "Oi, space man what's the big idea!" cried Donna.

"Can't be," the Doctor said ignoring Donna, "who are you!" he yelled in Rose's face as she tried to wipe her face off the best she could with her sleeve.

Rose raised her eyebrow at him and then brought her hand up to his face cradling his cheek, "Doctor, it's me, its Rose."

"Rose, _the_ Rose," repeated Donna her eyes darting between the two standing in front of her, she thought the blond looked familiar.

"Can't be," he repeated his mind was refusing to believe but his hearts where soaring and his eyes danced with a smile "Are you Slitheen?"

"Shut up," she said with a smile giving him the biggest hug in the entire universe, but they pulled apart quicker then she would have liked when Donna cleared her throat.

Looking at the ginger companion they saw her still trying to wipe herself off, "Can we please go clean up before this reunion continues?"

"Alright yeah sure, sure come on," the Doctor said bounding away with Rose's hand tightly in his hand with Donna just slightly behind them.

When they got back to the TARDIS Donna said, "I'll be in my room, you kids need to catch up."

"Donna," started the Doctor.

"It's alright. Talk to her space man," urged Donna with an encouraging smile, "Just no funny business."

He nodded at Donna and turned to face Rose still holding her hand, "Rose," his face exploding with the smile he gave her and then fading a bit, "How?"

She had been sharing that smile with him till he asked, _my Doctor always asking questions_, she thought as her smile started to fade as well, "There's trouble brewing Doctor."

"That's not much of an answer, how did you find us from the twenty first century Earth," he asked raising his eyebrow at her in suspicion.

"Do you trust me?" she asked, she knew it was too soon to tell him some things he was going to have to trust her for now.

"Of course I trust you Rose," he said confused.

"Then that's not important for now, what is important is what I need you to do," she stated taking a pause, _this could be bad, but I have to try to save them_, she thought before she continued "I need you to build a compact Z-neutrino Biological Inversion Catalyser ray."

"What?" he nearly screamed flabbergasted by the request, "You don't know what you're asking me to build!"

Very slowly she meet the Doctors eyes and held them with hers, "Yes I do, and if there was any other option I would never ask for this but there's not, I'm sorry but there's no other choice."

"There is always another option, genocide is not a solution to anything," he was full of cold furry, a storm that wouldn't be tamed, and she hated that it was aimed at her, worse still caused by her, but she know there was no choice, not that would save Donna from losing her mind.

"Doctor it's the whole of reality we're talking about, every dimension, and every universe, everything everywhere is in danger, the walls of the worlds are coming down, that's part of why I was able to get here. I would never ask you to do this if I could do it myself but I don't know how," she replied completely calm and as gently as she could.

The Doctor just stared at her for a moment trying to see what she wasn't saying, finally he sighed and turned his back on her unable to see her standing there calmly explaining why she was asking this, had he somehow ruined his perfect Rose? "You could tell me anything Rose; you don't have to keep these secrets." He started pulling bits and pieces from the TARDIS to assemble the ray he decided then to build for her but he would still try to talk her out of using it.

She was certain that wasn't totally true, and to test her theory she responded, "Like I'm carrying a gun right now and I've killed with it." She knew how he felt about guns; there would be no way he could take it in stride.

"Like that, I knew you had one," he said still not facing her but not missing a beat, he hadn't thought she would admit to the gun, he had always been against the weapons but more so since the loss of Gallifrey.

She was surprised, _maybe there is still hope for us_, she thought but asked, "You knew?"

With his back still towards her he nodded, "I felt it when you hugged me at the market," he ran is hands though his hair messing it a bit more, she had admitted to the gun freely not because she thought he knew, before he continued, "But this will be nothing like killing a single being with a gun."

"I know," she said softly, "But it wouldn't be the first time I've committed genocide either." She said barely above a whisper, she wasn't trying to shock him this time she was just bearing a part of her soul to him. He turned and looked at her from just the corner of his eye, not wanting to see the cold look he feared she may have on her face, he didn't think he could continue if he saw that. Instead he caught her quickly wiping away a tear before continuing, "There was these beings, they used human children as drugs and Torchwood was supposed to just hand the kids over, two thirds of the world's population of children enough to keep their population sedate with the hormones until they came back in forty more years or so. A race of addicts, really and I couldn't, I was with the Cardiff team and using the power of the rift we were able to bounce back their signals and fry their minds. Like what you tried to do on the Game Station," she said softly.

"So this is it then the majority verses the few," he asked only minimally hiding his displeasure of the task at hand.

"Its innocence verses the evil," replied Rose evenly watching his hands fly putting the pieces together as if it were just a jig-saw puzzle.

"And what makes you their judge, jury, and executioner?" asked the Doctor after a long pause looking up at her.

"Neither judge or jury, just the executioner this time," replied Rose fully aware of his eyes on her but kept her eyes on the gun. "They have been judged long ago, and found guilty by one of their own." She watched as he continued to fit pieces together and they sat in silence.

Suddenly the Doctor just looked at her and then asked, "How long has it been for you?"

"Just under two," she paused catching herself before she said hundred, "years. You?"

"One year, two months, and ten days," he said without hesitation looking her in the eyes again, he wouldn't count the year that never was. "I'm so sorry Rose."

"What for, I never blamed you, I should have held on, I promised you forever and I couldn't hold on," said Rose miserably repeating the same words she had beat herself with all this time.

"The lever would have never held you, and it had to be fixed," he tried to ease her guilt, she had almost died that day and it was his fault not hers, "Why did Pete come back anyway?"

Rose laughed a little and bit her lip before saying, "Mum sent him, to give me a last chance, told him if he didn't she would and stay here." Rose hoped he wouldn't see the partial lie she was telling him, how her mother and Mickey had seen the words Bad Wolf on the wall and knew that she was in trouble, that Jackie had gotten hysterical until Pete came back to see what was happening and before he appeared he heard the word _catch_ in his head, and when they got back the words where gone.

"Sounds like your Mum," he said absently, to busy in his task to see what he normally would have.

"Yeah," she agreed a sadness creeping into her voice as she cast her eyes down she noticed his hands and slowed down just playing with the edges and what not and nothing more. "So it's done then?" She asked getting him back to the task at hand.

"It has been, yes," he said, "I was trying to distract you long enough to get you to change your mind."

"Doctor, I'm not going to change my mind. It's the Daleks," said Rose, she saw the bit of fear in his eyes but it wasn't the rage and disbelief that had once been there. She figured he had come to terms to the roach like quality the Daleks had to survive everything.

"You said they had been judged by one of their own, no Dalek would betray the rest like that," the Doctor said grabbing the last straw he saw.

"One did," she replied simply. "Well two really, the first you witnessed, back in Utah. And the Cult of Scaro, specifically Dalek Caan somehow managed to temporal shift into the Time War and saves Davros, but loses his mind. He saw the Daleks for what they really are and decide no more, it's how he's gotten the Empire to build a reality bomb and that bomb is going to destroy everything if I don't do this."

"How do you know all this?" asked the Doctor.

"Because the stars are going out and the Darkness is coming to all things," she replied, "And Dalek Caan isn't the only one with a prophecy."

"You can't just go jumping universe to universe as you please Rose, changing events as you wish," chided the Doctor, not ready to give up the fight.

"I know the set points I can't change, but what I'm talking about changing isn't a set point in time, the lines are blurred, I'm just guiding them down a more desirable path," responded Rose.

"Who told you about the blurring?" asked the Doctor surprised by her wording, that's how he saw the world, no human could see that.

"No one," replied Rose.

He nodded, still upset that she wouldn't talk to him, "So where are we headed?"

"The Medusa Cascade," knowing he could get that far before needed to let events take their own course.

"Rose Tyler, the girl with all the answers," retorted the Doctor a tad sarcastically.

"No, not all the answers, just this one," she replied back sadly hurt that the Doctor was holding a chip on his shoulder.

As he started the TARDIS Donna came back fully dry and far less sticky, "Where are we off to?"

Rose sat with the compact Z-neutrino Biological Inversion Catalyser ray in her lap, preparing herself to kill the Daleks, _we have done it before_, whispered Bad Wolf to her, _this is no different they will be dust again_.

As Rose just sat there the Doctor responded to Donna, "The Medusa Cascade."

"Why," questioned Donna intrigued by the new setting already.

"Because there is something I have to do," replied Rose hoping to make this quick.

"Or so she thinks," retorted the Doctor.

"Doctor," Rose said softly as a warning, Donna could almost feel the tension in the air and it worried her, this is not how she thought things would be now that he had Rose back.

"There, we're here, now where is this threat?" asked the Doctor looking at the screen, just as he said that Martha's phone started to ring.

"It's started," Rose said quietly, "You might want to follow that call."

As he did he said, "A half second in the future, the whole area has been put out of time."

After a really bumpy ride the Doctor and Donna looked at the screen seeing the twenty seven planets and the ship in the middle of the web. "Doctor, that's Earth, what is Earth doing here?"

"I don't know," the Doctor replied slowly, "Do you?" he asked Rose.

"Yeah, it's part of their Reality Boom," she responded, "all of these planets are. Can you get us to the ship in the middle, to Dalek Caan specifically?" The Doctor just looked at the screen before flying the TARDIS into the Dalek warship. When Rose saw Devros on the screen she knew it was time, she almost smiled to see the look of surprise on his creepy eyeless face, she headed for the door and the Doctor followed her, "You don't have to come with me Doctor, stay with Donna and answer that call."

The Doctor held a determined look on his face and said, "But."

"No buts Doctor this is not of your doing, it is mine and mine alone, stay here," Rose practically ordered him. He frowned at her but stopped where he was.

Donna came up beside him and asked "What is she going to do?" as Rose opened the TARDIS door and shut it behind herself. The Doctor ignored Donna and ran to the screen so he could watch Rose, Donna rolled her eyes and followed him and also watched the screen.

Rose took a few steps toward Devros as he said, "You are not the Doctor, is he to afraid to face the Daleks that he sends one of his children of time?"

"I've sent myself," stated Rose in a far stronger voice then she would have thought she could have.

Devros was oblivious to the item she carried, intent on the mockery of a human female coming to face him. "And who would you be," he tried to enticed her to talk in hopes that the Doctor would follow soon.

"Death to his most faithful companion," cackled Dalek Caan who seemed excited by her arrival.

"The abomination?" asked Darvos sounding just a bit worried.

"He's not losing anyone today Caan," Rose replied.

"So the Wolf has come, to do what the storm will not?" asked Caan cackling.

"Caan what is the meaning of this?" yelled Darvos as he turned to face the crazed Dalek Caan.

"This is the end," laughed Dalek Caan.

"You betrayed the Dalek?" asked Darvos.

"I saw the Daleks, what we have done, through time and space. I saw the truth of us Creator, and I decreed no more. I have seen the end of everything Dalek, and you must make it happen!" cried Dalek Caan.

Rose nodded and shot Devros square in the ches,t as he turned to face her his hand already glowing with electricity, with the compact Z-neutrino Biological Inversion Catalyser ray. She watched as he turned to dust much like the Daleks back on the Game Station had but this time without the gold hue, she saw that the rest also started to dissolve as well and she called back over her shoulder "Doctor we need to send these planted back now!" As the Doctor and Donna came out of the TARDIS all Rose could hear was Donna yelling at the Doctor, something about how he could let her do that, kill an entire race. "Donna," Rose snapped, a little shaken herself over what she had just done, "Shut up, you've obviously never had to deal with the Daleks before, had you, you would not be freaking out. Besides they'll find a way to come back, they never seem to totally die."

The Doctor couldn't decide if he should laugh or cry at the truth of that last statement so he settled for a look of shocked disbelief with a slight nod of agreement. "Oi, Blondie you may have skinny boy her wrapped around your finger but you're not going to talk to me like that. And from where I'm standing your nothing but a mass murderer," Donna snapped back.

"So be it, but at least you and your loved ones are safe," Rose snarled her anger bringing a little hue of gold to her eyes which caught the Doctor's eye, "now if we could get to work sending these planets home before they lose their artificial atmospheres."

"Right," said the Doctor following Rose to the control console and Donna headed back to the TARDIS. As they got to work sending the Earth, the lost moon of Posh, and all the rest back to where they belonged, the Doctor tried to think of a way to ask Rose about that hint of gold in her eyes that had left just as quickly as it had appeared. "Rose," he started but when he looked at her all he could see was pain and guilt and he thought it wasn't just the Daleks that where causing it. "Rose," he started again "your eyes," but the words just hung there as he look at the control panel and saw that some of the words had changed to Bad Wolf.


	7. Chapter 6 Explain

**Small Edit Note: Forgot to add my disclaimer last night so I figured I should do that now, also I would like to thank everyone who had already read and commented thus far on Chapter 6, it really means the world to me that you all are enjoying the story. Also I really hope that the 5,000+ words made the wait worth it, by far the longest chapter yet I believe.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the pink laptop that this was typed up on for fun. No copyright infringement intended, I've gained nothing but my own smile for this work

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Chapter 6

Explain

"Bad Wolf," the Doctor said as he sent the last plant home and set the Dalek ship to self destruct, there was no sense letting it sit here in space where just anyone could get it, the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and said, "Time to go."

"Sorry?" asked Rose as she ran back to the TARDIS with him hand in hand.

"I set the ship to self destruct," explained the Doctor assuming that's what she had been questioning, "No point letting it sit out here in space."

"No," Rose said, "I get that, but you said." She started but was interrupted when they heard Jack's voice demanding to talk to the Doctor.

They went over to the screen and saw Martha and her mother, Jack and two agents from Torchwood, and Sara Jane Smith and a boy. When Jack saw him appear on the screen he shouted, "Doctor, where the hell have you been? It's the Daleks."

Donna just rolled her eyes, but it was Rose who responded to Jack, "It was the Daleks, look outside, your home."

"Who's she?" asked Martha.

"Rose?" asked Jack confused. It was Sara Jane and Martha's mother who had gone to their windows and let the sunlight shine though. "I thought," he started confused.

"She was but she's not now," the Doctor said.

"Doctor, what happened?" asked Sara Jane back to clinging to the boy, seeing the Daleks had really rattled the former companion. "What happened to the Daleks?"

"I did," said Rose looking down at her hands. "I killed them all."

"How? You didn't," started Jack.

"No, nothing so risky," she responded at the same time as the Doctor.

"How's not important," the Doctor finished.

"Well I have to get back to UNIT now that everything is back to normal, congratulations on finding her Doctor" Martha said with a smile.

With Martha's departure the sub-wave network started to break apart, Sara Jane went to make dinner for her and Luke, and Torchwood invited the Doctor, Donna and Rose for drinks and an explanation. The Doctor looked at the girls and then accepted the offer, Donna looked like she could use a drink and he knew Rose could use a distraction, or at least his Rose would have, but then would his Rose have don't this? He pushed those thoughts out of his head as he directed the TARDIS to Cardiff.

Donna and Rose both excused themselves to get ready, Donna to doll herself up a bit after taking a bit of a shine to Captain Jack, and Rose wanted to collect herself before going out and she realized she still needed to clean herself up a bit as well still having that sticky drink all over her clothes still. They walked in silence till Donna went into what Rose assumed was her room, "Your room is around here somewhere," the ginger woman said, "Its always popping up from time to time."

Rose nodded her understanding not really sure what to say to this woman and continued down the hall, she thought about going to find her room when she suddenly had the urge to empty her stomach of what little may be there. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten, thankfully the TARDIS was there and she was suddenly standing next to a loo. She shut herself in and after emptying what little was in her stomach, she sank to the cool tile floor and the evens of the last hour replayed in her head. Tears started to flow freely down her face as she thought about the rift she was feeling between the Doctor and herself and though she felt far more whole then she had in years being back on the TARDIS there was a whole in her hear that only the Doctor's hand in hers could heal. She thought about the fiery way Donna had yelled at her and then how calm she had been stating that her room was around here somewhere, but then maybe it was to goad her that the ginger woman had mentioned her room popping up from time to time instead of staying in one place. She ran her fingers through her blonde hair and sighed just as a knock sounded at the door.

"Rose, are you alright?" called the Doctor from the other side of the door and she couldn't help but smile at it as she hastily wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks.

She pulled herself off the floor replied, "Yeah, I'm good, just a tic." After quickly trying to smooth out her appearance fruitlessly she opened the door to him.

He turned around on his heel when he heard the door open and his heart sank at the state she was in and he took in a sharp breath, he had known her for too long to miss that her skin was too pale and her eyes a bit too pink, he knew that she had recently been crying and sick though maybe not in that order. "Oh, Rose." He brought her in to a very large hug and within his embrace she lost control and sobbed openly into his chest. He let her cry for awhile and he tried to comfort her as best he could stroking her hair. When she had gained control of her emotions again he pulled away just a bit to look her in the eyes, "Is this all for the Daleks," he asked unsure why his Rose was falling to pieces in front of him but in a small way hoping she was still enough of his Rose to be affected by killing an entire race.

She whipped at her eyes again and said, "No, I did what I had come to do."

"Then why are you so upset Rose," he confusion coloring his voice.

"I came here to save you and Donna, but in accomplishing my goal I alienated you both," she replied looking at the space between them not able to meet his eyes.

With her down cast gaze she missed the momentary look of surprise that danced on the Doctor's face before a small smile tugged on his lips. Her answer for killing a whole race was so simple, so eloquent, _so Rose_, and very human. She had done it out of, well she had done it out of her caring heart, he thought and he could live with that thought far easier then a cold blooded killing Rose. "What would have happened to me?" came a voice from behind him.

"Donna, I thought you went ahead," asked the Doctor.

"I was going to but I came back," she brushed off the Doctor's question and then locking her gaze on the blonde, "What did you save me from?"

"If things had gone the way they could have you would have lost your life with him, you would be back to your old life just the temp in Chiswick, missing all the alien encounters because if you remembered just for a second you would die," Rose said sadly. "He showed you a better life, like he had shown me, I didn't want you to lose that, because you would miss it, you wouldn't know why or what but you would know something was missing."

Rose glanced up at the other woman in time to see her wiping a single tear off her cheek, "I'm going to travel with him forever."

"And now your forever isn't ending today," Rose gave her a small smile and a nod, "Excuse me, I really should go change, I'm still a bit sticky." With that Rose turned and walked away from Donna and the Doctor but she heard their hushed conversation.

"Go after her," Donna prodded softly pushing him a step forward.

"I don't think she wants me to," he replied but she could see that he was torn between following the blonde and not.

"Don't be so thick space man, she's done the impossible to get back to you, go after her," Donna insisted giving him another shove but he still resisted.

Rose lengthened her stride, afraid of what he would say next, to fully get out of hearing range. After turning a few corners she slowed her pace and found that the TARDIS was not leading her to her room but to the wardrobe. The room was larger than she remembered and Rose really didn't recall the sink, but she gladly took the moment to scrub her face clean of the makeup, sticky drink that was still sort of there, and her tears. Rose remembered that the TARDIS had always liked to help her pick out her style and usually in the twenty first century she would light up the section with the hoodies and jumpers, but Rose was surprised when the TARDIS had picked a section that covered more of the twenty third century fashion, she smiled at the memory of the Doctor telling her of all the different time periods of style the TARDIS had. She picked a deep purple button down blouse made of a fabric that was not yet around in the twenty first century but it didn't stand out either, she left the top few buttons undone and found a low cut gray wool that wasn't wool vest that gave a nod to twenty first century business fashion, where she was able to keep her boots but she looked for a pair of trousers and brown leather jacket that would match what she had picked up from the other Doctor. With some help from the TARDIS she found a pair of trousers that she was happy with but she was starting to get disappointed about the jacket when she felt the tickle of a presents in her mind which startled her as the TARDIS highlighted a jacket a few feet away, "Thank you," she mumbled to the ship as she donned the jacket leaving her things to be cleaned and added to the wardrobe, a process she never quite understood.

As she was replacing the few items that had been in the pockets of her previous jacket into the current pockets of her new jacket as she heard a sound by the door, without turning around she asked, "How long have you been there Doctor?"

"Not long," he replied and she could hear the smirk in his voice. "What are you doing over there?"

"The TARDIS suggested it," Rose replied with a shrug turning around to face him.

"Did she?" the Doctor questioned his companion, he wondered what his ship knew that he did not after all its not usually her practice to push for a companion to wear clothes out side of their own time period. "Well you look fantastic," he said with a grin.

She waited a beat and said, "And no insulting stupid ape comment?" as he raised an eyebrow at him with a grin that found her tongue between her teeth.

He felt his hearts melt at the sight of that smile, it was that smile that reminded him how much he had missed her, his Rose. "Ready to see the Captain again?" he asked as he took a hold of her hand.

"Always," she grinned back basking in the feeling of her hand in his. He told her how Donna had gone on ahead and the place was just a little way up the road. Rose mentioned that Cardiff was much the same in the other universe, "and there is this one pub," she started to say as they stopped in front of the building Jack had described, " Doctor look," she said with a grin pointing to the sign.

"No," he said stretching out the word with a grin and led her inside. They easily found the others sitting at a few tables with drinks in hand and the Doctor looked to Jack with an eyebrow raised, "Blaidd Drwg Coutresan?"

"Its Jack's go to place," quipped Gwen.

"Is it really?" asked the Doctor with a bit of a grin.

"What can I say, I missed her too," said Jack with a bit of a pout. "And the good people of Cardiff seemed to enjoy the name so much as when we had last been here. Though I'm baffled by the Madame de Pompadour references," replied the former Time Agent.

"Wait; that was you three?" asked Ianto, having been a part of Torchwood One he knew a bit of what happened with the nuclear power plant.

"Well," started the Doctor stretching the word a bit, but he was interrupted by a playful hit from Rose and her small laugh, he smiled and stuck with the simple "A much younger us."

Rose feeling a bit more herself in the crowded pub with the Doctor's hand still within her own took a look around at their friends, she took a harder look at Gwen feeling like she'd seen her before in this universe, the other Gwen had been a blue eyed woman with auburn hair and a thinner face. Gwen who noticed Rose studying her got a little paranoid, "Sorry, is something on my face?"

"Oh no, sorry," said Rose quickly, "You just look very familiar to me."

"Her double perhaps," questioned the Doctor before really taking a look at Gwen's face himself and smiled, "Ah, you're from an old Cardiff family?" he asked her instead.

"Yeah," replied Gwen surprised, "my family goes all the way back to the eighteen hundreds."

"Oh," exclaimed Rose with a grin.

"Why do you ask," the Welsh woman asked.

"Well you know of the Rift, but do you know its started?" asked Rose with a grin.

"That was you two?" asked Jack not believing what he was hearing.

"Oh yes," Rose said in a very Doctor-ish way, "A fantastic story with our leather clad friend and Charles Dickens." She paused as their drinks where delivered and then she went into the Story of the Christmas Ghosts and the famous author.

The night continued in much the same way and was full of laughs and drinks, Torchwood talking about past missions and friends and the Doctor's companions relating past adventures. Donna had just finished talking about her strangest trip to 1926 and the encounter with the Unicorn and the Wasp with Agatha Christie and Rose then when into telling the group about her time at the end of the world and the strange gifts being exchanged. "Oi, and some of these gifts," she said with a roll of her eyes and exaggerated hand movements partly brought on by the alcohol, "This one was giving out air from his lungs," pointing to the Doctor next to her with her thumb, "But that was nothing compared to the Moxx of Balhoon spitting on me," which earned a large laugh from everyone present, "and bubbles from the nose of…" but here the Doctor grabbed her hand and shook his head cursing himself mentally for not stopping her sooner, "Doctor?" she finished with a question.

"Why did you stop her Doctor," asked Donna concerned, it was unlike her friend to interrupt someone unless he had something to say himself, even Jack sat up a bit straighter, which was just what the Doctor didn't want.

After opening and closing his mouth a few times Rose gave him a glance that said I-am-saving-you-but-you-owe-me look and said, "I don't think he wanted me to tell you that he got a bit slimed too," she laughed as if that was spot on and the others joined her.

Indignant that he was the butt of another joke he foolishly tried to defend himself saying, "I did not get slimed from the Face of Boe."

This caused the others to laugh all the more except for Jack who said, "What?"

Rose raised her eyebrow in question to the Doctor and Jack for a moment until she recalled a conversation with her other Jack about his very slow aging and his vanity. "Can't be," she said looking at the Doctor.

"Could be," he said glancing at her and then went back to holding Jack's gaze, he still was not all that sure himself if the Face of Boe really was an older version of Jack.

"No, shut up," she said having a hard time absorbing that the Face of Boe was her dear friend, "but that would mean," and she stopped for a moment remembering what she had heard about Boe, how he had out lived all of his family, children being born in this century, his long life. "Oh Jack," she said looking to her old friend remembering that she had yet to be forgiven by this Jack. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she said again sounding very much like the Doctor. "I didn't know."

Jack taking it all in stride even with the little information they had shared he knew she was talking about his immortality, after all she shouldn't even be there with them why shouldn't she know about that, gave her a true smile and said, "I take it as a complement, can't say there's been many who like you enough to keep you around forever," he finished with a grin and a wink for the Doctor.

Rose forced a sad laugh as Donna leaned over to the Doctor to ask what they were going on about; the Doctor looked at both Rose and Jack getting their silent permission before responding to Donna, "They're talking about Bad Wolf." Ianto and Gwen both sat up a little straighter, the Doctor really hadn't said a whole lot just chiming in here and there as Donna or Rose told a story or peppering them with questions about their own tales and they had seen the words around before as well. Donna was curious because she too had seen the words follow the Doctor every now and then and Rose never heard his account before.

The Doctor recounted all of the Bad Wolf, including the mentions of it leading up to the evens on the Game Station such as Gwyneth, giving Gwen a pointed look again, and the Blaidd Drwg project. He told them how the Vortex had made her like a god destroying the Daleks but bringing Captain Jack back to life, "Wait, she's the reason?" asked Gwen shocked.

Jack nodded having heard the explanation before, but Donna ask having not put the pieces together, "She's the reason what?"

"She's the reason I can't die," Jack responded his eyes fixed on Rose as she played with her glass on the table.

"You what?" asked Donna shocked, she couldn't believe that he couldn't die.

"That's right," said the Doctor, "He's a fact, a fixed point in time and it's just wrong."

"Hey now," Jack complained as Rose snorted a laugh with the rest of them.

"Doctor," she started "are you prejudice of our friend here?" she remembered the Jack from Pete's world asking his Doctor the same thing. Her question brought a stunned look from the Doctor and Jack before they both laughed.

"I've been asked that before," the Doctor said slowly, for a strange reason he thought she knew that.

Rose shrugged trying to act as if she hadn't just made a mistake and replied, "It's just a shame really, cause it's not his fault. If you need to be upset about it should be me you're against," she finished quietly.

"Aww, he couldn't stay mad at you it he wanted to blondie," Donna quipped, "To love sick that one is," she finished with a hiccup.

The Doctor flushed at her words but hoped they would be disregarded with the amount they all had been drinking, "Besides the Captain had given me other reasons as well," he said with a bit of a grin to Rose.

"I can't even say hello around you," the immortal Time Agent complained.

Ianto laughed and said, "It's never just hello with you."

The group shared another laugh and the Doctor took a moment to gage how his human friends where holding up with the effects of the alcohol. After all he was even feeling a bit of a buzz so he knew all of his human friends where drunk, and he got the impression that was part of the reason Rose was being so opened about some things she had said, in fact looking at the group he could see Ianto and Donna where pretty out of it, followed by Gwen who he thought could still hold her own, and then Jack and Rose. Neither where really showing the sings that the other three where but they were experiencing some effect. In fact as on cue Donna declared that it was time for her to shove off with Ianto and Gwen following suit. As they left the Doctor, Rose and Jack sat there just looking at each other.

Rose knew she should probably follow Donna back to the TARDIS, after all she as saying too much, but for the first time in ages she felt complete just sitting here with Jack and the Doctor and she didn't want to give that up. As she was contemplating those feelings Jack whispered to the Doctor, "Do you see her eyes?"

The Doctor looked a bit harder at her and his eye brows shot up when he saw that faint gold hue there. "Rose," he said pulling her out of her thoughts.

She blinked and responded, "Yeah," and both Jack and the Doctor noticed the hue was gone.

"What where you just thinking about?" the Doctor asked.

"Nothing," she responded, "just that if felt good to be back here, with both of you" she added.

The Doctor gave her a look knowing there was something she wasn't telling him. Jack replied "Like it did before the Daleks?"

The Doctor gave him a curious look as she nodded her head and said "yeah," quietly.

Jack pressed on, "Rose how long has it been for you since Canary Warf?"

"To long," she tried to sound that that was all he needed.

"Rose how long?" he asked again, the Doctor was just sitting there looking at the two of them.

"A little over two," but she stopped pleading Jack to stop with her eyes.

"A little over two what?" Jack pushed he had noticed her blouse and the Doctor had told him once that the TARDIS tries to try and keep you in your own times fashions.

She sighed, "A little over two hundred years," she replied as quietly as she could.

"What?" the Doctor was shocked "What? You're not a fixed point like he is; I know what that feels like and you're not it. How…"

Rose just held up her hand causing him to stop midsentence. "Pete's Torchwood did all sorts of tests when they finally noticed I wasn't growing older, I apparently have some foreign energy tied up with my cells keeping them as they said perfect."

The Doctor interrupted, "Energy?" But before he could get on one of his rants but Rose and Jack both gave him looks that made him shut up immediately.

Rose bit her lower lip trying to figure out what she could tell and after a sigh said. "Specifically Huon particles with Argon energy," she said with a paused trying to see if they would make the leap and was disappointed that only Jack had a knowing smile, the Doctor looked completely lost. "That mix with the already abundance of Artron energy and later spiced with some Void stuff caused this."

"The Void caused this?" the Doctor asked disbelieving.

"Doctor weren't you listening to her," asked Jack shocked that the Doctor was being so dense.

"Of course I was listening," the Doctor retorted. "She said specifically Huon particles with Argon energy…" he trailed off eyes going wide, "Oh, no, no, shut up. I took the Vortex out of you."

"You tried yes, and the over abundance did leave my body sparing me from, as you had so aptly put it, burning. But I had already remade myself or, well, Bad Wolf remade me to suit her. She has been the one guiding my hand back to you, after she made me leave you. It wasn't just this universe that she had pull over either; I, she, well we affected three different universes. In Pete's world the Doctor had died fighting the Autons since Rose Tyler in that world was just a yippy dog," the disgust in her voice about sharing her name with that dog was evident, "but there was still Jack Harkness oh and the pain he had been though because she, we, well I knew I needed someone to keep me going living all those years without you." Rose paused looking first at Jack apologizing with her eyes and the to the Doctor doing the same, "But it wasn't all bad for him, at least I don't think it was really because he still got to travel with the Doctor because the Third world still had its Doctor who was left heart broken when his Rose burned from the power of Bad Wolf. That Doctor told me when I finally met him that he had tried to save her but there could only be one Bad Wolf and our world is ahead of his, just like Pete's is ahead of ours."

Rose paused again as another round of drinks where brought to their table, once the waitress left she continued, "He said that the Bad Wolf had formed but couldn't last killing his Rose, the Doctor even connected with my mind showing me all of their adventures together some which had looked familiar and others that hadn't but the biggest difference was that this Doctor didn't seem to worried about showing his Rose how he felt," she paused to take a sip of her drink, partly to hide her smile that was threatening to from at the shocked look on her Doctor's face and the smack that Jack had thrown him with a I-told-you-so look. "I cried knowing I had survived when his Rose did not but he told me that it wasn't my fault that he hadn't needed his Rose as much as you had needed me," she said looking right at the Doctor, "He said that when he pulled Bad Wolf from his Rose with a kiss he had all the knowledge that she had had and he saw my coming and he knew that though his Jack was forever dead via Dalek there was another Jack that could take his place by the Doctor's side. So he jumped universe's into Pete's world and traveled for awhile with Jack regaining some of the partnership he had felt with his Rose, but he knew it couldn't last as he knew the time for me to travel to Pete's world was drawing near, he calls it that too which is odd he didn't know Pete, so he dropped Jack off and shortly thereafter that Jack became a fixed point in time as well. After falling into Pete's world it took me over a year to find him and it was shortly after that I regained my memory of Bad Wolf and all that had happened," she was afraid to go into much more detail not knowing where they were in the timeline of this universe.

"How," the Doctor questioned, "How could you remember without burning, no one is supposed to have the Time Vortex in them let alone thrive on it."

"The other Doctor said it was partly my own stubbornness and just the right amount of Artron energy when I was first exposed and when the power started to reawaken in me that right amount of Void stuff temped the power enough to keep me from going up in smoke though he joked saying that I may just start glowing in the dark soon," she replied with a smile and the continued "I also think it was partly Bad Wolf, I think she changed me more then I like to think sometimes".

"But what triggered the memories?" asked Jack.

Rose looked at him for a moment before for saying, "I heard a song."

"What song?" both Jack and the Doctor asked, though the Doctor did have a bit of a smile remembering his quip to Rose of how he sang a song and the Daleks ran away.

Rose just shook her head, "I can't say, the event hasn't happened here yet," she said sadly. She knew the loss her friend still had to go though and it wasn't fair, but she knew there wasn't anything she could do to stop it, her Jack had to lose everything so they would be ready for the next big threat, she could only console herself with the knowledge that she saved the other Jack from the same loss. She may not understand why but there was something in each of their sacrifices; the Doctor's home for the universe, Rose's life for everyone else's, and Jack's family for the safety of all; that would allow them to take on this next threat head on.

It was the Doctors turn to ask a question, "You're talking like the Bad Wolf is separate from yourself," he left the question implied.

"She is, and she is not. Our desires are pretty much one but our choices to get those desires tend to drift apart. She can see all that is, all that was, all there ever could be but usually I can't, not like that at least. I can see the blurring of time around major events when choices need to be made, and I can see when an event in time is fixed, and I also know that not everyone can be saved even if I don't like it," she finished softly.

Jack was the one to pick up the next question as the Doctor just looked at Rose, "Like today, you guys didn't show up until the planet was moved and Harriet Jones died?"

Rose nodded, "She held too much power to be saved, it was her time, everything dies," she said and she recalled that her first Doctor had said much the same thing back at the end of the world when the earth burned. "And we had to wait till the Earth was moved, the human race's development hinged on it."

The Doctor was sorry to hear that Harriet Jones had died trying to get him to save the day, the guilt he felt from her being right in a way weighted heave on his shoulders. _"One day Doctor the Earth will be in danger and you won't be there to stop it."_ Her words echoed in his head. Jack and Rose both noticed he lapse into depression and Jack grabbed his arm, "She knew what she was getting into, and she told me to tell you, you chose your companions well."

A tear came to the Doctor's eye as he thought of how he had been so mean to her condemning her after what happened during the Christmas Invasion. Rose gave him a small smile and said, "Come on, I think that enough explanations for one night, yeah. Let's get back to the TARDIS."

The Doctor nodded and looked at Jack, "Are you coming with us?"

Rose's heart leapt into her throat, she would love to have him along in the TARDIS but he had to stay, the 456 where coming and he had to be here for it otherwise they would have already lost. She held her breath as Jack opened his mouth to respond, "I would love to but Torchwood is already down a lot of staff, I can't just go and leave Ianto and Gwen. Rain check?" he asked looking not at the Doctor but a Rose.

She wondered if he had sensed her apprehension, but she smiled and replied, "Of course." As they walked out of the pub Jack turned and gave the Doctor one of the biggest hug Rose had ever seen the two share.

When they pulled apart Jack said, "Well I guess this is it then." Giving the Doctor a salute he turned to leave.

Rose was shocked and call after him, "Don't I get some love too?"

"Thought you would never ask," Jack replied with a smirk pulling her into a big hug and then kissing her on the lips, "Now don't ever leave us again." He chided with a smile to her and then a smirk to the Doctor.

The Doctor was almost fuming seeing Jack kissing his Rose but he did his best to keep his temper in check after all Jack had partly kissed her just to provoke him. Rose replied as she stepped back and grabbed the Doctor's hand, "Wouldn't dream of it," with a smile to bot.


	8. Chapter 7 Bedtime and Mars

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the pink laptop that this was typed up on for fun. No copyright infringement intended, I've gained nothing but my own smile (and maybe some others) for this work.

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Chapter 7

Bedtime and Mars

The Doctor and Rose walked hand in hand back to the TARDIS but didn't say a word. Both where just satisfied to be in each other's company again, neither wanting to really let the other go for fear that this was all but a dream. As they entered the console room the Doctor sighed and said, "You've lived far longer then you should have, I wish I knew how much longer we have," his voice was so low she almost didn't hear him.

She turned to look into his deep brown orbs, "Doctor," she said soothingly bringing her hand to his cheek, "No one knows how long they have left, but I like to think there is a lot of life left in me and I don't plan on wasting it," she finished snaking her fingers into his hair and pulled him into a kiss.

When they pulled apart the Doctor didn't know what to say, every reason he had ever made for not perusing the relationship they both wanted was being erased, she was far more bolder then she once was and she was going to live a lot longer than a regular human, after all she already had. _But for how much longer?_ He asked himself, he wanted to let her in but she had already out lived most everyone she knew how much longer would she last? He was about to ask her if she would let him run some test on her when he paused, she _outlive most everyone she knew_, he repeated to himself. "Oh, Rose," he said his voice cracking with the pain of the loss she had suffered.

Rose was confused she didn't know why he was upset; _it was just a kiss_ she thought then asked, "Doctor?"

"Jackie and Pete," the Doctor said miserably.

Rose looked at him for a moment until it registered what he was saying, she frowned "Yeah," she agreed, "I haven't thought to much about them in years," she finished barely above a whisper.

He pulled her into hug saying "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Rose," stroking her hair. She pushed away from him just enough to look into his eyes, reveling the tears forming in her own and shook her head getting ready to say something was he put a finger a crossed her lips, "finger on lips" he said a bit huskily and she smiled at the reference and continued to gaze into his eyes as he seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say.

After a few more moments pass she raised her eyebrow at him, "Doctor," she asked, "What are you thinking?"

"There was something else, something you didn't explain," he said with a hint of seriousness and sadness. "About the meta-crisis Doctor?"

Rose shook her head and a lump formed in her throat, "I, I wanted to save the meta-crisis you from dyeing before my eyes like the rest of my family did," she replied her voice heavy with regret. "I never really met him, but his future really stuck with me when I remembered, watching him worry about me as he aged and died without the TARDIS without the travel and excitement. But what I recall the most is the day he died, he was only fifty years old and it was of all things brain cancer. He was in so much pain; he had wanted nothing more than to grow old with me, but I took your place and watched him die. And I had to watch him die while we were in hiding from myself so we didn't cause a paradox because in that timeline I had to travel to the past to get back to this universe on Earth, somehow Mum and Mickey followed the future me to this universe so when you brought Mum back the meta-crisis and I had to hide. Watching him die was the hardest thing for me, but I think having to hide in caves and what not was even harder on him." A single tear rolled down her face as she finished explaining that.

"Oh Rose," sighed the Doctor tears came to his eyes and he pulled her tighter to him. "Why did you let me send you back?"

"Never had a chance, and Mum. It was logical, and I thought we would be able to get this Vortex Manipulator to work I guess," Rose half shrugged, after all she really didn't know, she hadn't lived it just knew most of the basics of what would have happened not the details. "S'alright though, I had motivation not to allow that time line come to pass so I was able to figure out how to jump Jack and myself to his Doctor and then the Doctor helped me find you and Donna."

"He helped you back?" the Doctor asked sounding surprised, "Thought you said he closer to his Rose."

"Yeah," she said not understanding where he was going with that.

"So why not keep you with him? I don't think I could have let her go," he said honestly.

"But I wasn't her, and she wouldn't have been me. Just like he wasn't you, and not just the face, he was different in other ways, like Ricky and Mickey the same but different," she said.

He nodded knowing the difference. "How where you able to cross the Void though?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

She sighed and raised her wrist with the vortex manipulator, "I tweaked it a bit," she said.

The Doctor looked at her incredulously, "You crossed the Void with that? When we fell through the Void with the TARDIS she was almost torn apart."

"Well I did have the help of a insulated coat, and I had just assumed that she had so much trouble with it because it was like you where ripping her from her socket killing the power," Rose replied absentmindedly reaching out to stroke a piece of the TARDIS coral soothing any hard feeling that may have sparked.

"No, well, yes and no," the Doctor started and he ran a hand through his unruly hair, "I didn't have this much difficulty explaining it to Mickey," he grumbled and then his face brightened, "Speaking of Mr Mickey," he started but his words trailed off at the new look of pain on her face and he wanted to kick himself.

"He died," she moaned guilt heavy in her voice, "He was the first. We were on a mission and something went wrong and he was gone, not even a body left just gone."

"Oh, Rose," the Doctor said soothingly, "I'm sure it was your fault."

She shook her head, "We weren't thinking clearly, we had just fought because he had caught me moping about in the Bridge Room at Torchwood One, Pete had already banned me from the room two years before but I was better and needed to prove to myself I was getting better, I could look at those unnaturally white walls and not cry."

With that Rose grew silent and the Doctor tried to comfort her, he had never thought of just how broken she would have been without him, he pulled her closer and held her there in a tight embrace and she buried her face into his chest breathing in his scent. After several moments she shifted in his arms and continued, "When he found me sitting on the floor leaning against the wall facing the door, he lost it. He started yelling at me to let go that you where gone and no amount of moping about would change that. He throw your words back at me, how you would want me to live my fantastic life. And he finished five minutes later that there where those who were still around and loved me and wouldn't change. But I couldn't," she finished with a deep breath unable to finish the words.

The Doctor pulled away a step, "Rose, you couldn't change your heart," he paused and then pressed on, "Any more then I could have," he said putting both his hands on the sides of her face looking deep into her eyes. Trying to see if she would object as he lowered his lips to hers, instead of objecting she leaned into the kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair as the kiss turned from comfort to need. Rose couldn't believe how good it felt, how right. Something about his lips on hers, it was like they had been made to fit perfectly with her own. In a way she had always thought they were, there was so much that she had always looked for visually in a guy that this incarnation of the Doctor had. She felt like she would melt in to a puddle if the kiss lasted much longer, and just like that he pulled away and she rested her head on his chest and he kissed her hair.

"He would be great with Martha," she mumbled into his chest and he couldn't help but laugh a sad laugh.

"You haven't even met her," the Doctor started.

"In a way I have, and I know she must be brilliant, you brought her on board the TARDIS after all," smiled Rose leaning back to look him in the eye.

"So you would pair her with Mickey the Idiot?" he asked, but shrank back with the glare she gave him and holding his hands up in defeat replied, "Your right they would likely fit nicely together." And as he said that he noticed her trying to stifle a yawn and declared "Bedtime for you now."

She nodded in agreement but didn't move, she looked up at him with a pleading look instead, "I'm afraid this may all still be but a dream."

He wasn't sure what to say, but he decided he wouldn't waste his time pretending he didn't have feelings for her and nodded then kissed her on the forehead, "I could stay with you a wail," and he took her hand and lead her to her room when she smiled at him.

She gasped when she saw it was almost as she had left it, except the bed had been made something she had never done during her time on the TARDIS and some of the pictures had been rearranged on the desk. "Doctor," she asked but he just looked at her confused, "you made my bed?"

"No, well, yes but only after the TARDIS let me in here. She had sealed it off from me for awhile but when she thought I could handle it without burning everything she let me back in from time to time, I still wanted to be close to you," he said his voice dropping a bit as he spoke.

"Oh," she responded as she wandered over to the desk and picked up a photo of the two of them that had been handled frequently, she placed the photo back in front of the frame and grabbed some things out of a dresser drawer and said "Back in a tick."

A few minutes later she returned from her bathroom in a pair of light pink pajamas with her face scrubbed clean of all the makeup and her hair tied back in a messy pony tail, she found the Doctor lying back on her bed on top of the covers with the other corner folded back for her to climb in. "Well come on you," he called patting the bed.

She felt a bit silly now with him lying on her bed, but she climbed in and snuggled close to him resting her head on his chest and her arm over his stomach. "Are you sure you don't mind," she asked him again.

"Not at all," he replied smoothly and kissed the top of her head, "Goodnight my Rose." It didn't take her long to fall into a deep sleep and only a little longer later the Doctor reluctantly left her room in search of something to tinker with while he thought.

Rose couldn't help but wake up with a smile that morning, she as slept so soundly that night and was waking up so peacefully with the sounds of the TARDIS all around her. She grabbed a tee-shirt from the wardrobe and a pair of jeans before heading to the shower. She didn't linger as long as wanted, showers in the TARDIS where always so perfect, instead she dressed quickly and looked at herself in the mirror. She played with her hair a bit, sorry that she had brought back the blonde but decided that it wouldn't have to stay long, which was a good thing because she noticed that her roots where already showing, jumping the void like that must have placed more strain on her body then she realized. She sighed and turned from her reflection after putting on even less makeup then than the night before, and she went looking for the Doctor and Donna. She found them in the little kitchen sitting at the table having breakfast. "Good morning," chirped Donna as the Doctor turned to see her walk in.

She smiled and mumbled "Hullo," still a little unsure how Donna as feeling about the Daleks even with the small explanation of being saved.

Donna seemed to sense her hesitation and was good enough to look a little embarrassed and said, "I'm sorry about want I said to you before Rose, both Jack and the Doctor straightened me out about the Daleks and I should have known that the Doctor's Rose couldn't just kill something without a really good reason. Besides who could stay mad after being told it was all done to save them?"

"S'okay," smiled Rose feeling another weight lifted of her shoulders as she started to make tea and grabbed a piece of fruit from the bowl on the table, "So where are we heading?" she asked looking back and forth from Donna and the Doctor.

Donna was surprised about the ease as to which Rose as accepted her apology that she had been brow beaten into mostly by Jack and then the Doctor, before Rose and the Doctor had arrived at the bar Donna had vented as to how cold Rose was to be able to commit genocide like that no matter the reason until Jack explained to her and the others about the Daleks. Then this morning the Doctor told her in not so graphic terms about the Daleks and to her greatest shock how it really _was_ done to save her. The Doctor was happy to see the Rose and Donna getting along, he didn't know what he would have done if they couldn't work out their issues. He beamed at them both and said "What about Mars?"

"What's going on, on Mars?" asked Rose intrigued.

"Well, you preserved the interest of human kind's reach into space with the events yesterday, we can go see one of the Earths first colonies," he smiled.

"A colony on Mars?" questioned Donna looking to the blonde and adding, "That doesn't sound too exciting, almost safe."

Rose laughed at the other woman's comment, "But we'll be with the Doctor, anything could go wrong," she said with her special grin.

Donna shuttered thinking about what the Doctor experienced on Midnight, "He does know how to get into trouble," she looked at the Doctor, "Is there any aliens on Mars."

"No," he started, "Well, not anymore at least," he finished with a grin. Rose and Donna looked at each other and then back at him and shrugged in consent as he beamed at both of them and the bounded out of the little kitchen heading for the control room leaving the two of them to follow him.

It didn't take long to plot a course to Mars, but the Doctor missed his intended destination by six years having aimed for the opening of Bowie Base Three. Rose felt nauseous as they stepped out of the TARDIS, "Doctor, when are we?" she asked.

"Should be the twenty-first of November twenty sixty-five, opening day of Bowie Base Three," he replied a little unsure.

"Should be," Donna scoffed, and looking around, "Try Bowie Base One Space Man," she said pointing to a plaque on the wall.

The Doctor's eyes went wide as was just about to tell them to get back in the TARDIS when a pair of robots happened upon them, "Halt martins, you are under arrest for trespassing. Gadget," said the yellow one. "You will come with us. Gadget, gadget," stated the green one.

"Doctor," Rose warned her voice weaker then she would have liked.

"Hopefully we missed the day too," he said just loud enough for her to hear, but he knew from the look she was giving him that he wasn't so lucky. He had noticed that the moment that they had stepped out of the TARDIS that Rose had been a bit off, and assuming that it had to do with the Bad Wolf and her ability to see fixed points in time he knew they had to get out of there and soon.

The two robots, Gadget and Gadget II lead the three of them to a control room where Adelaide Brooke, Ed Gold, Yuri Kerenski, Mia Bennett, Tarak Ital, Steffi Ehrilch, and Roman Groom stood waiting. Adelaide walked right up and stood toe to toe with the Doctor and said, "State your name, rank, and intention."

"The Doctor, doctor, fun," he said causing a smile on Donna's face and a bit of a smirk from Rose.

"Alright then, you lot, who are you two?" Adelaide asked indicating Donna and Rose obviously not pleased with the Doctor's smart comment.

Donna taking a page from the Doctor's book said, "Donna Noble, temp, keeping him out of trouble." And with that Rose couldn't help but laugh, but she stifled it quickly with a look from Adelaide.

"Right, Rose Tyler, traveler, with them," she said with a straight face, or at least what she hoped was a straight face, she was still feeling a bit sick. "What's today's date?"

Adelaide just looked at them as if they were all a bit mad but the shock of the out of place request for the date replied "Twenty-first of November twenty fifty-nine."

"But what I would like to know is who you lot are working for," replied Ed circling the group, "it must be one of the independent groups, otherwise we would have heard of you before now."

"Better question would be how they got inside the base," piped up Roman.

"That's a very good question," stated the Doctor, "Roman is it? Wish we could stay for tea but we really do have to be going, just had stopped in for a quick hello."

Just then an animal like growl went over the intercom system of the base and Adelaide Brooke took Doctor Tarak Ital and the Doctor with her to the Bio Dome where the only two people of Bowie Base One were that the Doctor and his companions hadn't met. Adelaide had left Ed in charge of their other visitors and Donna had been able to talk him into letting Roman give them a tour of the place after some prodding from Rose. Through the com system the companions were able to learn of the discovery of the infectious water and how they planned on abandoning the base before it was too late. Roman had to leave them in the hall where they had first appeared wishing them luck before running off to help pack supplies. Once back on the TARDIS the relief on Rose's face was evident and though Donna still didn't know what was really going, but they waited patiently for the Doctor to return. Finally when he walked through the door Donna noted his drawn face and her heart sank, she tried to catch his eye and asked "Pompeii?" The Doctor nodded afraid that Donna was going to ask him to save someone again but instead Donna just walked over to where Rose had half collapsed half sat on the jump seat earlier and asked "Are you alright?"

Rose looked at the ginger woman in front of her and said, "Yeah, just never been that close to a full fixed point in time," she replied then looking to the Doctor asked, "Who was it?"

"Adelaide Brooke, her death on Mars inspires her granddaughter to travel into the stars as the first light speed pilot," he replied with a bit of a sad smile.

"Like she's trying to meet her grandmother," asked Donna and the Doctor nodded, "But what about the rest of them Doctor, what happens to them?"

"Adelaide ends up triggering Emergency Option Five, she blows up the whole base which will contain that infection," he replied still watching Donna intently.

Donna was about to say something when Rose grabbed her hand and gave it a little squeeze, "Donna, we can't go back. I know it hard, they were all great people from first impressions but, how would they explain how they were able to get off the planet?" Donna nodded sadly understanding.


	9. Chapter 8 Family

Chapter 8

Family

To try to cheer Donna up the Doctor set a course on the TARDIS to meet one of Adelaide Brooke decedents on the planet Anthem almost four thousand years in the future. A frown flickered a crossed his face when he started to think as to how close they would be to another lost friend. Donna and Rose had both seen the quick frown but neither knew what the frown was for, that was until they stepped out of the TARDIS again. "Welcome to Anthem, a small planet under the rule of Queen Elaine Adelaide Tulekahju," he smiled.

"Adelaide?" asked Donna with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yes," said the Doctor. "She's a distant decedent of Adelaide Brooke and now the crowned Queen of Anthem," he explained as they started to walk down the street towards what looked like a town square with shops and people bustling about in their everyday lives. "Anthem is a pretty little planet and mostly a holiday spot for those who want a break from the corporate hustle and bustle," he commented as a Hath walked past in a suit and tie. They wondered around talking to people in the shops and just have a good time.

Donna had wandered a bit further from the Doctor and Rose, feeling a bit like a third wheel of a bicycle but still happy for the Doctor and Rose none the less. As she looked at some little knick knacks for sale in one of the shops she saw a blur of blonde run past. Not seeing the Doctor or Rose in sight she thought it might have been Rose she saw out of the corner of her eye so she took off running in the same direction. After making several turns down different alleys she stopped running having lost whoever it was she was following, she was turning around to head back when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Donna jumped in surprise and turned around only to be face to face with a woman she never thought she would see again. "Jenny," she almost shouted wrapping the girl in to a tight hug, "But we thought you died."

"Me too," replied Jenny with a bit of a grin. "One minute I was in a lot of pain and in the Doctor's arms the next I was alone on a stone table. I took the rocket from Messaline and headed for the stars. I can't believe I found you here; I just took up a job with the Queen as head of her security detail. Something about a Slitheen trying to take her crown," Jenny said off handedly, "I was just running after someone whom the Queen thought may have some answers when I lost him but found you following me," she said breaking into a full grin, "So is he here too?"

"Well of course he is," replied Donna with a laugh, "You want to help me find him?"

Jenny nodded and they headed back to the square with shops, Rose saw them reenter the plaza first as she and the Doctor had been looking all over the shops for Donna. Rose waved to them but raised her eyebrow to Donna in a silent question about the other blonde but Donna just flashed her a large smile in return. Rose squeezed the Doctor's hand and pointed to where Donna and the other woman were heading towards them. Donna could tell even from the out of hearing range that the Doctor was repeating the word what, unable to understand what he was seeing. She couldn't help but smile at the memory of him doing the same thing when he first met her, she saw him drop Rose's hand and run for her and Jenny enveloping the blond into a big hug. Rose watched from the other side of the plaza with a puzzled expression on her face, but smiled to see the Doctor happy and noted that the hug he was giving this blond was much like the hug he had given her after the ordeal on the imposable planet. Rose started to make her way over to them at a bit of a slow pace, she wanted to give the three of them time to catch up a bit before she joined them. She couldn't help but grin when Donna had other ideas turning to wave her over like a crazy person her invitation was seconded shortly by the Doctor as well, and she crossed the rest of the plaza quickly. She overheard the blond asking the Doctor "Who is she Dad, did you replace Martha with her," and it was all Rose could do not to stop in her tracks and gawk at them, it helped her that the Doctor looked a bit uncomfortable with that question as Donna tried to hide a smile behind her hand.

The Doctor cleared his throat as Rose came up to the three of them and his hand instinctively reached for hers. "Rose, I would like you to meet Jenny," and with a pointed look from both Jenny and Donna, he finished with "my daughter."

Rose offered her hand and a warm smile to the girl, "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well," Jenny said and then looking at Donna asked, "Is she why you two weren't together?"

The Doctor's jaw dropped, and Rose just raised an eyebrow with a bit of a smile on her lips as she watched Donna silently plead with the Doctor for help. Jenny just looked between the three of the waiting for an answer. The Doctor finally croaked out "No," at the same time as Donna, but she finished with a laugh, "But that was the reason on his list."

Rose couldn't help but laugh as the Doctor shouted "Oi," glaring at Donna. Rose squeezed his hand and looking at Jenny said, "Maybe it's a bit more complicated than that."

Jenny nodded her understanding, amused at the looks the Doctor and Donna where giving each other, she said, "And for being surprised that I'm his adult daughter you're not upset like most mates would be."

"We're not mates," Rose attempted to say with a straight face but failed, and Donna was on the verge of tears when she saw how red the Doctor was getting. Rose turned to him and still smiling said, "She must have come from this incarnation then, yeah? She's a bit cheeky."

After Donna wiped the tears that had come to her eyes from laughing so hard and she really looked between her friends, and then looked harder at Rose and Jenny. "Doctor," she said grabbing his attention, "Jenny was created with just your DNA right?"

"Donna, you where there, don't you remember?" he asked confused by her question.

"Yes I know, but Doctor look at them," she replied gesturing to Rose and Jenny, "There are a lot of similarities besides the blonde."

Rose and Jenny looked each other over, and Rose could almost agree with Donna. Their noses and skin tone was very similar and where Jenny's face was a bit thinner and her hair was a natural blond and her yes a deep blue that made her think back to the pale blue eyes of her first Doctor, Rose noticed they were almost mirroring each other in the way they were standing. Even their choice in clothing was different only in colors, and Rose noted the way Jenny was wearing her makeup much like they way Rose use to when she first traveled with the Doctor. "Dad," Jenny started almost unnerved but the similarities she saw in the other woman's face.

"Can't be," the Doctor said more to himself than anyone else. He saw what they were seeing, and he remembered that it wasn't just his previous family that he saw when he looked at her that day. How he had thought back to Rose as Jenny had been dying in his arms, but it was just his DNA that the machine had taken, Rose had been gone for over a year when they had landed on Messaline. "Bad Wolf," he mumbled, causing the other three to look at him with questioning looks.

"Bad Wolf, what are you talking about," questioned Donna skeptically.

"The machine that I came from was created and built by the Bad Wolf Corporation," supplied Jenny.

"So what does that mean," insisted Donna looking between the Doctor and Rose who where staring at each other.

"I guess it means me," Rose said not moving her gaze away from the Doctor.

"How," started Donna before her eyes went a little wide, "the Bad Wolf," she repeated remembering the nights conversation at the pub, "so it wasn't just Jenny's creation that sent the TARDIS to Messaline?"

The Doctor finally broke eye contact with Rose and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, "Well, seems so, unless Jenny was the purpose for Bad Wolf," he started to rattled on before Rose laughed at him, "But why," he looked back to her catching her eyes with his own.

"Dunno," she replied, "It's not a detail I really remember, I am aware of seeing what happen after Canary Warf but there is no details," she finished with a shrug.

Jenny, still not fully aware of what was going on, looked at the Doctor and ask, "So, are you here because of the Slitheen too?"

"Slitheen?" echoed Rose as she and the Doctor looked to the other blonde, they where almost mimicking each other's quizzical expression without knowing it.

"Yeah, they want the crown so they can force everyone off world then they want to reduce the planet to molten slag and sell it to the highest bidder," Jenny said.

"Sounds familiar," said Rose looking at the Doctor, "You don't think it's Blon, do you?"

"Not unless she remembered her old family name, and I don't think the Raxacoricofallapatorians live that long either," Replied the Doctor with a frown.

"So you've fought them before?" asked Jenny almost lighting up at the idea of learning at her father's side again.

"Well," the Doctor started as he saw three heavy set men running up the plaza to where he believe the Royal House was, "How many of the Slitheen family are in on this plot," he asked Jenny.

She followed his eyes to where he was looking and replied, "Just the one, and those are humans."

Rose replied, "Both times we met with the Slitheen they had murdered larger humans and used their skin as a disguise." Both Donna and Jenny pulled faces when they thought about that, "And how often do humans that size go running around the plaza?" she asked watching the groups progress.

"Not often, from our time at least," agreed Donna. And with that the four of them took off running after the three.

"They are heading to the Royal House," stated Jenny. She was surprised that they were right; she had known the Slitheen had help with this plot but never thought it would be more Raxacoricofallapatorians in skin suits.

As they were running Rose worried what they were getting themselves into, after all the first group of the Slitheen family they had met ended up dead because the Doctor had Mickey blow up No. 10 with a missile, and then when it had just been Blon it was the TARDIS that had taken care of it in the end. _The heart of the TARDIS, it reverted her back to an egg_, Rose thought, and she felt a pressure start to build up in her head. She knew it was her own Vortex building up and that she would have to do something, she just wished she had a mirror to see how far gone she was. She heard the howl of the Wolf in her mind as they entered the same door the other three had. As they entered she saw four Raxacoricofallapatorians surround a pale blue woman in very elegant robes all cackling. "Stop," Rose demanded her voice was thick with the power from Bad Wolf building within her.

The Doctor glanced over at her and saw that her eyes where almost starting to glow with the power of the vortex building in her and as it did, he felt a pressure build in the back of his mind as well. "Rose," he started cautiously.

One of the Slitheen, a female, Donna thought, sneered at the four of them, "And who do you think you are to order us human?"

"It doesn't matter who she is," replied the Doctor smoothly as he stepped between them and Rose. He thought he could feel a familiar pressure building, one that he hadn't thought about since the Game Station. "I am the Doctor, perhaps you've heard of me, I am a sworn enemy of the Slitheen family after all.

"You are different then the stories describe you Doctor," seethed another whom Donna decided was male, "But the girl you protect is well known from the histories, she is also our enemy."

"Who Rose?" The Doctor replied only glancing over his shoulder at her before facing the Slitheens again, "She wouldn't harm a fly what quarrel do you have with her," he mentally cringed at his blatant lie but in doing so noticed the bright green presence in his mind that could only be another Time Lord, _or Lady_, he corrected himself before he reached towards it. _Jenny? Is that you?_ He asked.

"Dad?" Jenny asked surprised by his voice in her mind just as the Slitheen had all thrown their heads back and laughed.

_Yes Jenny is me, Time Lords are telepathic, _he explained simply he knew this had to be quick because he didn't like what was going on with Rose. _Take Donna to the kitchens quickly and get some vinegar or something acidic they are a calcium base being and we're noting going to be able to solve this peacefully._

_Okay_, was all she responded as she ran from the room in a wide arch grabbing Donna's hand and dragging her along as she passed.

The Slitheen finally where pulling themselves out of their enjoyment from the Doctor's previous statement and the third replied, "The Slitheen have learned of you Doctor since last we met. We know how the Storm was tempered by the Wolf," he jeered, "She is just as dangerous as you."

"More," coed the female, "The blonde Rose is far more dangerous then you Doctor."

" Bad Wolf," came the slight echo-y voice that he remembered all too well, Rose hadn't fully given in to the Wolf trying her best to rein it in but the Wolf was fighting her and as part of the fight was showing her the possibilities of this encounter.

The Doctor turned his back on them to face Rose his eye full of fear, _this shouldn't be happening_, he thought as one of the males laughed and replied, "Are we to be afraid of the big Bad English Wolf? A child who took her name from Earth tales meant to scare children?"

She smiled, a slightly creepy sight, "I am no children's tale but I am the faithful companion of the Doctor, the Oncoming Storm, the Destroyer of Worlds, the last of the Time Lords from Gallifrey. I created myself, the stuff of legend."

"Legend? Yes we've heard of you," replied the female her eyes wide with fear.

"Yes, you have," the Bad Wolf, a bit of sadness from Rose's own voice crept in, "you are tiny, but you and your brothers and sister have a choice to make. Leave now on your own, or I'll make you."

Most of them laughed but one took a step back from her, "And what will you do if we don't?" one of them asked.

_Dad we've got some, but its not a lot_, Jenny's voice rang in the Doctor's head and he got the impression that it would maybe take out one of them. "Rose hold on they are coming back," he said trying to get her to fight the Wolf, "You can let go."

"I can't Doctor," her voice echoed with the full power of the Wolf now, her one hand was in her pocket and with the unmistakable sound of something Sonic the lights went out. _Doctor forgive me_, she thought as she gave into the Wolf as the room went dark, she needed to end this now or her time with the Doctor would be over too soon as she could feel the hatred and fear build to the climax in the four.

The Doctor was very confused as the room was plunged into darkness, he felt a presence brush against his mind, a presence he hadn't felt in years, a presence that both scared and comforted him, "Rose," he cried as there was blinding gold light flashed and searing heat flooded the room as series of little pops sounded and the crash of someone hitting the floor hard, he struggled to pull his own Sonic Screwdriver out of his pocket as he heard Jenny and Donna run back into the room.

"Dad," Jenny cried as the lights came back up dropping her side of the bucket her and Donna had been carrying splashing the contents to the floor. The Doctor, Donna and Jenny saw the Queen covered in what looked like green gelatin and passed out on the floor. There was a large egg next to her as well, they saw that Rose was just a few steps ahead of them and that she was on her knees on the floor with the gelatin like goo stopping right in front of her.

"Rose," Donna said gently taking a step closer and dropping the rest of the bucket to the floor with a crash, but the Doctor stopped her with a shake of his head.

He walked up to Rose and knelt behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder noticing her tensed against his touch, "Rose," he called softly, he could see that her breathing was labored, and not just from the little bit of running they had just done. "Rose," he called again this time with a bit more force.

She turned towards him just barely masking the pain that was evident on her face, her eyes still glowed with the light of Bad Wolf, "Hello," she mumbled her voice holding a bit of the echo. Taking a deep breath she shook her self and blinked away the gold from her eyes, when the gold was gone the Doctor noticed that she visibly relaxed as she gave him a small smile.

As she looked at what had happened as the Doctor squeezed her shoulder, "What happened Rose?"

She sighed, "I told you Bad Wolf was still with me, what I didn't tell you was that from time to time she still has power, not just sight. But the power is stronger now that we're back, and its recharging quicker. When we were chasing them I was thinking about the last time we faced members of the Slitheen, and I didn't think we had a missile we could hijack and the TARDIS wasn't here. But it was the heart of the TARDIS that held the power, not the TARDIS as a whole, and that's where Bad Wolf was born."

Rose let the rambled sentence hang and looked back over the mess. Jenny and Donna came up and kneeled with them, Donna reached out and squeezed Rose's other shoulder, "You where in pain," she said just barely understanding what had happened here.

"A little, but not from the Vortex, it's more of a relief when Bad Wolf can in a since blow off steam," she replied turning to look at Donna. Rose gestured back to the mess and the three eggs, "The pain was from seeing inside of them, and what they could have done, only one was willing to start over the others would not repent or give up, if I hadn't given in to the Wolf when I did Donna would be dead, and you and Jenny would have regenerated," Rose said looking over her shoulder at the Doctor.

"You gave them a choice," Jenny asked almost as confused as Donna.

"Everyone deserves one chance," replied Rose, "Even the Doctor would have given them that."

He nodded his agreement, only slightly humbled by his ability to forget that when he thought Rose was in trouble, as Donna asked, "But why turn off the lights?"

"She was getting upset," she replied gesturing to the Queen, "People use to get really upset if they saw the Bad Wolf in the other universe, and the Doctor doesn't have a good track record with royalty as it is. With the lights out I was able to make her forget us, only the gold light and the smell of vinegar will stay with her. Jenny will be able to tell they Queen that the Slitheen feel into her trap and that they all died, she doesn't need to know any more than that. And to slow the Slitheen, I had held the power back as long as possible."

"Right," said the Doctor standing up and helping Rose and Donna to their feet, "Let's gather that egg and take it back to the TARDIS, Jenny stay here to explain to the Queen when she wakes then you can meet Donna in the plaza and she'll show you to the TARDIS."

"I'm coming with you?" asked Jenny her face clearing showing both hope and joy at the idea.

"Well," he started, "If you want to that is."

"Yes," she cried jumping up to give him a tight hug around his neck. When she released him she got to work smearing the ooze into the void left by the egg and roughing up the line where it stopped so it didn't look as neat like it had stopped at an invisible wall, which she assumed it had, lease they would all be covered in the green mess.

The Doctor, Donna and Rose left her to it, Donna carrying the egg back to the TARDIS as the Doctor supported Rose who was ashamed to admit that her legs felt like the gelatin mess on the floor. When they had the egg safely stored away Donna grabbed Rose's hand told the Doctor they needed some girl time, he didn't look happy about it but consented citing that he needed to do some work on the TARDIS. Donna practically dragged Rose to the kitchen and put on some tea on, a chore Rose quickly took over having seen the weak brew the ginger woman make that morning, and Donna sat at the table. After watching Rose work for awhile Donna said, "You know you're worrying him."

"I know," Rose said without turning around to face the ginger woman.

"Why didn't you tell him, about it, this power you have," Donna asked.

"I didn't think it would come up so soon," Rose replied with a sigh, "When I was in the other universe even right on top of the rift in Cardiff it took decades for the power to build to a point where Bad Wolf could use it, and it was never at the scale it was today. The Doctor had compared the other universe to diesel to the TARDIS's petrol engines; I guess it was the same for me."

Donna nodded her understanding when Rose looked over her shoulder at her, "Even if you didn't think it was going to happen so soon you knew eventually it would come up," Donna pressed.

Rose regarded the other woman for a bit and the responded, "Honestly I did really think of it once I was here. And there was never really a good moment for that chat."

Donna smirked at that candid remark, "Other things on your mind," she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A bit yeah," Rose responded and then grinned knowing what Donna was trying to imply, "Its not like that though."

"Oh of chores not," Donna agreed with smirk, "Skinny boy visits all his companions in the middle of the night after a round of drinks."

Rose's eyes when a bit wide, "You saw that?"

"Why else would I have pulled you in here with his daughter coming on board?" asked Donna with a smile and the two women shared a laugh at the old Time Lord's expense.

As they preceded to finish their tea keeping the chat light and taking time to tease their Time Lord out of hearing distance Rose truly smiled at the ginger woman, a sight that Donna noted probably had not visited her features in recent history, and said, "It's good to see that he found a companion that was willing to just be a friend when he needed one."

Donna was proud of her ability not to spit tea all over Rose as she schooled her face into what she hoped was a mask of mild interest, her mind instantly traveling back to River Song. "Well there was a bit of confusion when he said he was just looking for a mate," she commented with a bit a giggle.

Rose smiled and said, "Seems like you're the best mate he could have asked for."


	10. Chapter 9 Calling the Captain

Chapter 9

Calling the Captain

Shortly after picking up Jenny, Rose had asked Donna to help her dye her hair back to its natural brown. Donna had been hesitant but agreed seeing how the visual similarities between Rose and Jenny bothered both of them, at least with Rose being a brunette it wouldn't be as noticeable. The Doctor seemed to enjoy her new hair color but joked that she still wasn't ginger either.

They continued on traveling for months just the four of them, getting into and out of trouble. They enjoyed each other's company, and the Doctor relaxed around Rose as time went on because from what Donna could see she was able to contain the Bad Wolf. Or at least Rose was able to contain it when the others where around, the Doctor did still complain that she had a tendency to wander off. But more of their scraps where resolved by the Doctor or as a group effort that Donna wondered if Bad Wolf hadn't taken charge on Anthem because they wouldn't have been able to handle it.

One day they were having breakfast in the kitchen when a phone rang; the Doctor went running for the control room and the other three followed him and as he answered the Razor cell phone Jenny asked, "He has a cell phone?"

Rose replied, "That's not his phone," and she looked to Donna for an explanation.

"It's Martha's phone, she left it here to she could get a hold of him whenever she needed too," replied Donna, and they waited for the Doctor to get off the phone.

When he clicked the phone shut he looked at the three of them like someone had just told him his favorite pet just died, "Doctor, what happened?" asked Donna.

"Martha called and asked me to look for Jack, said that he had left Earth after a pretty big to do with what they called the 456," the Doctor looked pained telling them this and Rose went to his side and grabbed his hand. He took comfort from her offered hand but couldn't bring himself.

"So he has the ability to leave Earth, and if my hunch is correct can travel a bit in time , so this is going to be like a looking for a needle in a hay stack," Donna complained, she liked the idea of seeing Jack again but the Doctor's suddenly depressed mood was making her grumpy.

"Well he could try to locate his Vortex Manipulator, and send us hopping after him for weeks," Rose joked poking at the Doctor's side before playing with her own Vortex Manipulator, "Or you could go here," she said showing him the screen.

"How did you," he started to ask.

"Well I had programmed it to the other Jack's DNA and energy signature back in the other universe, he liked to wander off too," she said with a bit of a grin, "and since both his DNA and energy signature are the same here, it was easy to pin point him."

The Doctor just looked at her and then said, "But it shouldn't have worked I fixed it so it couldn't teleport it shouldn't have found him in a different time," the Doctor said as he plotted the course.

Rose just grinded that special grin and pulled out her own Sonic Screwdriver, "I have my own tools you know," she said.

"Do you have any other tricks up your sleeve," laughed Donna as she saw the Doctor's only slightly surprised face.

"No that's the last one," Rose smiled, she knew that her gun which was still in its pocket of her jacket was a sore subject, remembering how the Doctor threatened to replace it with a banana, but she hadn't gone and pulled it once since she had been back so he let it stand for now. She couldn't help but carry it though, just like the Screwdriver and her Manipulator, they had become part of her every day needs in the other universe and those weren't habits that one can just give up, but she silently agreed with the Doctor if she could give up the weight of the gun in her pocket she would feel better.

When they landed on the planet where Jack was Donna declared that they all needed to change, so the three of them left the Doctor. They went to the wardrobe room, for Jenny it was her closet if she wanted anything then a black or green tee shirt with pleather pants, and the same went for Rose though she had a few more colors then black or green and she had jeans instead of the plastic leather. For Donna the wardrobe room was just something to explore when she was bored of the clothes she had packed or when her clothes didn't fit the time period, and she decided that a planet of just night clubs and bars fit the later reasoning.

Rose couldn't help but smile at the different sections of the room the TARDIS had lit for them, pale blue lights for Donna, a greenish yellow hue for Jenny, and a warm rose color for herself. Donna quickly found a lovely deep blue cocktail dress, and Jenny picked out a silky yellow tank top with grey trousers. Rose settled on a short sleeved pink button down blouse in a silky materiel with a pair of black jeans. Donna accented her outfit with a wide black belt, a pair of black sling backs, and a long silver necklace, Jenny swaped out her normal combat boots for a small wedge heel that looked similar to the Doctor's trainers. Rose opted to a tall boot with a riding heel made in a suede like materiel with silver studs running along the top and by the ankle, she kept the leather jacket feeling the familiar weight from the items in her various pockets. She had the ring from the other Doctor in the upper left breast pocket, along with the locket her mother had given her on her death bed, Jackie had told her that it had been hers since she was born though Rose still didn't quite understand that. In the inner left pocket rested her gun in its holster, she didn't want to wear it on her belt around the Doctor but she couldn't let go of it either, and in her right outer pocket was the Sonic Screwdriver.

"Ugh," Jenny complained coming up behind Rose, "You're getting to be as flexible as Dad with your outfits."

Donna laughed a little further behind Jenny, "You should talk."

Rose just smiled at the two of them as she pulled the locket out of its pocket, "I like this jacket," she said as she put the necklace on.

"Oh, that's really pretty," Donna cooed over the locket noticing the detailing on the front and the little beads on the very long chain.

"Haven't seen that before," Jenny remarked as if proud that it was a major change in the outfit.

"I don't like to wear it much," Rose replied simply, "too many memories."

Donna nodded, though the brunette in front of her looked no older then a young adult Rose had seen so much in her almost two hundred years. "Well are we ready?"

Rose and Jenny both grinned and nodded, and then Rose said, "It's not going to be all fun though; we're going to have to work to find Jack. The Doctor looked really upset after talking to Martha; I think Jack is trying to drown his sorrows away here."

Donna nodded her agreement, "You know him better than we do, or the other him at least; what do you think we should do?" she asked as they walked together back to the control room.

"I kind of want to spilt up, leave the Doctor here incase Jack heard the TARDIS and then have each of you take one of his regular bars that his signature is all over and I'll just roam the streets in case he decided to change it up tonight, also if we don't find him tonight we can't just sit at the same bars, and we can't stay more than two hours at each" replied Rose.

"Sounds very strategic," Jenny approved, "But how will I know him when I see him?"

Rose pointed to her bedroom door as they walked towards it and the three of them went in, Donna had only seen the room once before when Rose was still trapped in the other universe and the Doctor had went in not realizing that Donna had seen him, and what surprised Donna now was how much neater the room was then before. The colors also seemed to have muted themselves because Donna would have sworn that the pink had been more cheery than it was now. Rose picked up two photos off her dresser and handed them to the other women and pointing to one of the males in each picture said "That's Jack."

"Who's the other guy," Jenny and Donna asked at the same time.

Rose pointing to the tall man with large ears and a big nose in Donna's picture said "That's the Doctor."

"No," replied Donna stretching out the word but grinning like mad.

Rose grined right back at her but looked at Jenny's picture and said "That's Ianto Jones from the other universe, well that's Jack is from the other universe too but they look the same."Rose gathered the pictures back up and returned them back to their places on the dresser and lead the others back to the control room.

When Donna saw the Doctor just standing there in his blue suit she couldn't help but picture Rose's first Doctor standing in that suit and just started to laugh and when the Doctor raised his eyebrow at her in question she looked at Rose and said, "I get why you like that leather jacket so much."

The Doctor just sighed and said, "Rose, what did you do?"

Failing innocence Rose smiled at him sheepishly and said "I just showed them pictures of Jack."

He shook his head, knowing what pictures she had of the Captain and said, "So are we going now?"

"Shouldn't you stay with the TARDIS? What if Jack heard it materialize and comes looking for it?" asked Jenny.

The Doctor wasn't keen on the idea of staying behind or of the girls splitting up which he was sure they had talked about, "I can stay here though I doubt that he heard the TARDIS, but don't go wandering off from each other," he said looking at Rose, then tossing a cell phone to Jenny he said "Just in case."

Rose smiled when she saw that it was the cell phone her first Doctor had had in Cardiff, "Another supper phone? You should start your own cell phone company," she said with a grin, as the as Donna, Jenny and she headed for the door.

Jenny called over her shoulder as they left the TARDIS, "Don't wait up Dad," winning her a chores of laughs from the other others as the doors shut.

"Alright, where to," asked Donna looking at Rose her hand still on the TARDIS door.

"The first bar is," she started looking at her Vortex Manipulator, "Is this way," she said pointing to the left and heading that way.

Jenny and Donna followed her, when they reached the bar in question Rose gaped at the name, "Bit hung up on you that one," Donna quipped with a grin.

"Naked Wolf?" Jenny asked.

At the same time Rose denied, "That's not me."

"Do we know any other wolves?" asked Donna walking though the door. In side they were met with dozens of aliens ranging from the Hath to Raxacoricofallapatorians.

Donna and Jenny looked a bit uneasy until Rose said, "No need to worry, the Judoon will keep trouble from brewing. Now who wants this one," Rose asked frowning slightly at her Manipulator.

Donna looked at the blond next to her and said, "I will, even if we don't find Jack there is a cute sailor over in the corner." Rose looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "well okay he's a bit daft but no more than the Doctor in your photo," amended Donna gaining a set of giggles from the other two.

Rose looked at her Manipulator again before saying, "Alright, just don't leave with him, yeah." And after making sure Donna had Jenny and her cell numbers Rose gave Donna a grin and said, "Have fun, remember two hours."

"You seem fixed on what the thing is telling you," Jenny commented as they left Donna behind gesturing towards the Vortex Manipulator.

"Busy planet, just trying to find Jack," Rose said typing away on the Manipulator again.

"Your hiding something Rose Tyler, I can feel it," Jenny said.

"And?" Rose asked with a hint of a challenge in her voice.

"Don't hurt him with you games," the blond warned.

Rose stopped and looked Jenny in the eye, "I'm doing this to protect him. That's all I've ever wanted was him safe."

Jenny nodded, "Where to next?"

"Over here," Rose replied pointing off to the right. As they walked into the bar Rose noted how much this one reminded her of the inside of the TARDIS with the way the lighting was and everything, "Will you be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah I'll hang out here until I get a call or see him," Jenny replied heading for the main bar.

"Two hours," Rose called and looked at her Manipulator again before heading back out into the streets.

Rose typed a few things and then hit a button a teleporting to the other side of the planet in front of the bar Torch Woods, she walked inside tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. Seeing Jack in a corner playing with his revolver she walked right up to his table and said, "Let's not cause a scene yeah?"

Jack looked at her hard but with the amount he had been drinking and her dark hair he didn't recognize her and said, "Who the hell are you?"

"A friend," she said sitting a crossed from him and pulling up the sleeve of her jacket so he could see her Vortex Manipulator.

"I don't have friends at the Agency anymore," Jack slurred.

Rose just smiled and said, "Who said I was with the Agency? I didn't say I was with the Agency, I'm more of a free lancer," recalling how they had first met, "In fact I'm hear about a deal we had years back now, but I need you sober," she waived to the barkeep, "Coffee for my friend here."

Jack almost cried, "No coffee."

She gave him a sad smile and said to the barkeep, "Alright, make that two strong teas instead." They sat in silence until they man behind the bar brought over two large cups of tea and turned to leave them to their business, "Drink, a nice cuppa tea can make the world better."

Jack did as he was told but gave her a hard look; he had heard those words before. After he started on the second cup he could feel the effects of the alcohol he had consumed start to wan, "I know you," he said trying to get his eyes to focus on her face.

Rose nodded, "Yes, but it's been a wail. Last time I saw you it was in another bar, far away from here." He frowned at her still not placing who she was, she gave him a small smile and said, "Come on finish your tea."

As he finished his second cup and two more where brought to them and this time Rose took up the one cup and he started on his third. "You remind me of an old friend," Jack started studying her face, "But different."

Rose could tell the alcohol was starting to wear off, she knew his condition helped the detox process but was surprised as to how quickly he was recovering compared to her other Jack, "Your different too," she replied, "far more durable then I remember."

"Rose," he finally crocked out his throat constricting with emotions.

Rose gave him a small smile and said, "Its alright Jack I'm here, drink your tea."

He watched her drink her tea for a wail as he finished his own and started slowly on his fourth before saying, "He's gone Rose, I couldn't save him."

"I know," Rose said reaching over the table and squeezing his hand, "I'm so sorry."

He lapsed back into silence for a wail before asking, "Why are you here?"

"Looking for you of course," she replied, "I had a little help though," she added raising her wrist that her Manipulator was on.

"He hasn't disabled yours?" Jack asked.

"He's tried," Rose grinned pulling out her own Sonic.

"How did you get a hold of that?" Jack asked.

She just smiled and replied, "I built it; the Torchwood in the other universe had some blue prints I found. Though if I remember correctly I was told they where faulty, but then I shouldn't have been able to build a second Vortex Manipulator just by taking the other Jack's apart and rebuilding it either."

Jack shook his head a smiled saying, "Rose Tyler you're just full of surprises."

"So I've been told," she said a bit of sadness seeping into her voice. She gave herself a mental sake and said, "Here let me fix yours and then we can head back to the others. He wouldn't want you held up on this rock, repeatedly killing yourself."

He looked sheepishly at her but nodded his consent and giving her his wrist, within moments she had his Manipulator working, he asked, "The last time I saw you the Doctor invited me with the three of you, and you looked like he just suggested to change the past, you knew what was coming didn't you. You knew he was going to die," the pain of the accusation was heavy in his voice.

Rose couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye, "I knew about Steven," she admitted afraid what he would do if she admitted to knowing about Ianto as well.

Jack's anger deflated a bit when he said, "Ianto is gone."

Rose looked heartbroken for him and asked though she already knew the answer, "And Gwen?"

"She was six months pregnant when I left, not mine mind you but, she asked me to stay for her," Jack crocked, he was miserable but Rose couldn't help but be thankful that he was back with her, she hadn't realized how much of a whole was left by his absence.

She watched at him as he paid the barkeep, who seemed very relieved and shot Rose a thankful glance, _Jack must have tried his stunt here before_, she thought as she gave a nod to the man. When Jack was done she grabbed his hand and he gave her a quizzical look and she released his hand and said, "Sorry, I guess it's hard to separate the Jack from the other universe from you."

He took her hand back in his and said, "If it's normal for you then its fine by me, but what about the Doctor?" he asked trying to distract himself with her love life, though he did notice that the ache in his heart had lessened with her presence.

"He will have no right to take up an issue," she sulked a bit.

"Back to the status quoi?" asked Jack with a frown, "I would have thought he would be more opened with you after," he let the words hang unfinished.

She sighed as they walked down the street hand in hand, she thought a bit of a walk before they teleported would be a good thing, "No not quite as they were but there hasn't been much change either," she admitted, "Just a new set of daily routine things you know."

Jack nodded remembering the routines that Rose and their first Doctor had had, "But your still waiting," he observed.

"Shut up," she said with a grin and nudged him with her shoulder.

As they walked and talked about this and that, Jack learning more about her time with the other Jack and she listened to his stories about Torchwood and Ianto. His heart lightened as they talked and the more he shared about Ianto the more the pain seemed to subside. After awhile he said, "Your one of a kind Rose Tyler." She just looked at him quizzically surprised at the sudden change in topic. "I've never been about to really talk about those I've lost over the years," he said simply.

She gave him a small smile and replied, "May have something to do with knowing you before you where immortal, and maybe more to do with being the one to make you as such."

He shrugged not sure himself what the reason was. "So how much longer are we going to walk in circles?" he asked instead.

She gave him a sheepish smile and said, "So you noticed, well we really can't walk back to them, they are on the other side of the planet."

"So we're teleporting then," he reasoned.

"Yeah, to the other side of the planet and about six hours in the future," she said.

"Time hoping under his nose?" asked Jack with a raised eye brow.

She nodded, "You'll come back here someday and understand."

"Crossing his timeline then," Jack stated.

"Just remember today's date," she sighed, "And your favorite bar."

Jack raised an eye brow at her and said, "You saw that?"

"Yes," she replied not meeting his eye.

"You know," he said, lifting her chin with his finger so he could look her in the eye, "if you hadn't already given your heart to him by the time I met you we could have been good together."

Rose gave Jack a soft smile, "I know, I was reminded of that often," she replied and she reached up and pulled his head down as she stood on her toes so she could kiss his forehead. Then keeping his eyes locked with her's, she intertwined her fingers with his one hand and typed a few things first on his Vortex Manipulator and then her own and they teleported back to the street she had just left not even ten minutes before. Once there she pulled her cell phone for its pocket and called Jenny first and asked the blond to pick up or call Donna and met them back at the TARDIS, when she agreed Rose said, "Thanks Jenny."

Jack raised his eye brow, "Jenny? The Doctor gained another_ female_ companion?"

"Ah, it's not like that," she said nudging him with her shoulder, "But I think it would be better if they explained it, and feel free to imply that to him," she said with a bit of a wicked grin.

Jack chuckled at that and nodded his understanding as they continued to walk back to the TARDIS. When they got there Jack paused before stepping over the threshold, Rose looked back at him when she felt the tug on her hand and said with a bit of gold shining in her eyes, "She knows you know, she won't run again," and then blinking her eyes a few times she looked at Jack confused.

"When I finally met back up with the Doctor he had taken Martha to Cardiff to refuel. But he saw me coming and he tried to run, I jumped and clung to the outside of the TARDIS all the way to the end of the universe and the Master," Jack explained then asked his eyes drifting behind her, "Didn't he tell you about the year that never was?"

She turned on her heel and looking the Doctor in the eye said, "No he did not," then turning back to Jack said, "You clung to the outside of the TARDIS through the Vortex?"

"Yeah, not one of the more pleasant ways to die though not one of the worst ways to go either," replied Jack.

She looked back at the Doctor, "How could you do that, did you even know if he would survive?"

"I suspected, what I didn't think was he would be able to grab a hold in the first place," replied the Doctor.

Rose sighed and looked at Jack the pain of the effect her actions had on him evident in her face, "I'm sorry," and she left the two men in the control room heading for her room. About two hours later a knock sounded at her door, "Come in," she called not looking up from her book, expected the Doctor's lithe frame to enter the room. When he didn't come over to the bed she looked up putting her book down and said, "Jack?"

He crossed the room and sat at the foot of her bed and with a lopsided grin said, "You could have warned me she was his daughter." Rose couldn't help but laugh as he said, "He was so torn between following you and keeping me away from her. Though I did get to see his face when I insisted that he had a thing for blonds and she was the newest flavor."

Rose's eye went wide as she stifled a laugh, "What did he say?"

Jack rubbed his cheek at this point in the story and said, "He didn't get a chance, Donna put me in my place with how he only has eyes for you, though she agreed in front of him that he doesn't know how to show it, and that Jenny was his daughter of sorts."

Rose fell into a fit of giggles again picturing the ginger woman going after Jack, she leaned over and kissed the cheek he had just rubbed, "Should have warned you about Donna," she said with a grin. "She's the Doctor's best mate and she has a bit of a temper."

"A bit?" he asked with a grin, but then asked seriously, "Those aren't yours are they," motioning to the pile of books by the other side of the bed.

"No," she replied, "they are his. One of those rituals I told you about, he comes with me to bed and reclines on the top of the covers and reads until I'm deep asleep and he slips away," she explained with a bit of a frown.

"One of the things that you wouldn't mind changing," he said and she nodded, then he raised his eye brow and asked, "Do you want me to stay with you tonight?"

"Jack," she said as a bit of a warning.

"No not like that, well unless you want to," he said with a grin but continued, "I can sleep on the top of the sheet over on his side there. The Doctor said we are going to say in the Vortex for the night and then head to see what Martha wanted me back at Torchwood for."

Rose looked at him and said slowly, "I don't mind you staying but this isn't about Ianto is it?"

"No," replied Jack a bit quickly then seeing her disbelieving look said, "well yes, I don't want to be alone."

Rose nodded in acknowledgement, "On top of the sheet," she repeated as she got up and went to the adjoining bath. When she came back she saw that he had already discarded his jacket, suspenders, and button down shirt and climbed into the other side of the bed. When she climbed into her bed after turning off the lights Jack snuggled closer draping his one arm a crossed her but true to his word he was on top of the sheet so she didn't complain. Only minutes after they had turned off the lights and settled into bed did the Doctor open the door only to turn and leave again.


End file.
